Final answer:
To calculate the rock's velocity just before it hits the water, we can use the principle of conservation of energy and the equations for potential and kinetic energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the rock's velocity just before it hits the water, we can use the principle of conservation of energy. As the rock falls from the cliff, its potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.
Using the equation for potential energy (PE = mgh) where m is the mass of the rock, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2), and h is the height of the cliff (214 m), we can calculate the potential energy of the rock when it is at the edge of the cliff.
Then, by equating the potential energy to the kinetic energy (KE = 0.5mv^2), we can solve for the velocity (v) of the rock just before it hits the water.