Final answer:
Les will have a larger splashdown speed than Nick because his splashdown speed is determined by the time it takes for him to fall, not his initial horizontal velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The splashdown speed of Les will be larger than that of Nick.
When Les drops straight down from the edge, he will only have vertical motion due to the force of gravity. This means that his speed when he reaches the lake will be determined by the time it takes him to fall. Using the equation v = gt, where v is the final velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²), and t is the time of fall, we can calculate that Les will have a splashdown speed of 19.6 m/s.
On the other hand, Nick jumps with an initial horizontal velocity of 25 m/s. However, this horizontal velocity does not affect his vertical motion. Like Les, Nick's splashdown speed will also be determined by the time it takes him to fall and will be equal to 19.6 m/s.