Galileo drops a stone from the leaning tower of Pisa, which is 45 meters high. At what speed does the stone hit the ground?
To determine the speed at which the stone hits the ground, we can use the equations of motion. Assuming there is no air resistance, we can use the equation for the final speed of an object in free fall:
v = √(2gh)
where:
- v is the final speed (in meters per second)
- g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s²)
- h is the height from which the object is dropped (in meters)
Given that the height from which the stone is dropped is 45 meters and using the above equation, we can calculate the speed at which the stone hits the ground:
v = √(2 * 9.8 * 45)
v = √(882)
v ≈ 29.7 m/s
Therefore, the approximate speed at which the stone hits the ground is 29.7 meters per second.
To determine the speed at which the stone hits the ground, we can use the basic principles of physics. The speed at which an object falls due to gravity is determined by the equation:
v = √(2gh),
where v is the final velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s²), and h is the height from which the object is dropped.
In this case, the height (h) of the leaning tower of Pisa is given as 45 meters. Substituting these values into the equation, we have:
v = √(2 * 9.8 m/s² * 45 m)
Now let's calculate the speed.
v = √(882 m²/s²)
≈ 29.7 m/s
Therefore, the stone hits the ground at approximately 29.7 meters per second.