Final answer:
The velocity of an object hitting the ground given the height it was dropped from, use the kinematic equation v = √(2gh), where g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the height. In an example where a seagull drops a shell from 5.6 m, the velocity upon impact would be approximately 10.6 m/s, assuming no air resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Finding the Velocity of an Object Hitting the Ground
If you know the height from which an object is dropped, you can calculate the velocity of the object as it hits the ground using the kinematic equations for uniformly accelerated motion. Specifically, you would use the following equation for objects in free fall:
v = √(2gh)
Where v is the final velocity, √ means square root, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 10 m/s² on Earth), and h is the height from which the object is dropped. This equation assumes that there is no air resistance and the object is falling freely under gravity.
For example, if a seagull drops a shell from a height of 5.6 m, the velocity of the shell as it hits the ground can be calculated as follows:
v = √(2 * 10 m/s² * 5.6 m) = √(112) = approximately 10.6 m/s
The velocity would be 10.6 meters per second just before impact, assuming no air resistance.
It's important to remember that this calculation is an idealization and factors like air resistance can affect the actual velocity of a falling object in a real-world scenario.