Final answer:
Using the formula for free fall, the rock would fall 44.1 meters in 3 seconds. This is calculated using the acceleration due to gravity and the time squared.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a rock is dropped and falls 4.9 meters in 1 second, we can use the physics of free fall to determine how far it will fall in 3 seconds. The distance an object falls due to gravity alone (ignoring air resistance) can be calculated using the formula d = ½gt², where d is the distance, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s² on Earth), and t is the time in seconds.
Given the rock falls 4.9 m in the first second, it conforms to the formula d = ½gt², considering g as 9.8 m/s² and t as 1 second. For 3 seconds, we plug t = 3 into the formula to get: d = ½(9.8 m/s²)(3 s)² = 44.1 meters.
Therefore, the rock would fall a total of 44.1 meters in 3 seconds, when considering the constant acceleration due to gravity without air resistance.