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How long would it take a freely falling body to strike the ground when it is dropped from a height of 20 kilometres?

User Roy Mathew
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Final answer:

It would take approximately 63.87 seconds for the freely falling body to strike the ground from a height of 20 kilometers.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the time it takes for a freely falling body to strike the ground when dropped from a height of 20 kilometers, we can use the equations of motion. The key equation for this situation is:

Vf = Vi + gt

Where Vf is the final velocity (which will be 0 m/s when the body hits the ground), Vi is the initial velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity (which is approximately 9.8 m/s²), and t is the time taken.

Since the body is dropped (meaning its initial velocity is 0 m/s), the equation simplifies to:

0 = 0 + 9.8t

Solving for t, we get:

t = √(2h/g)

Substituting the given values of h = 20 kilometers and g = 9.8 m/s², we can calculate:

t = √(2 * 20,000 / 9.8) = √(40,000 / 9.8) = √4081.63 ~ 63.87 seconds

Therefore, it would take approximately 63.87 seconds for the freely falling body to strike the ground.

User Sarvesh Bhatnagar
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