If a pinecone was thrown from a height of 45 meters and hit the ground 4.5 seconds later, how fast was the pinecone traveling
To calculate the speed at which the pinecone was traveling when it hit the ground, we can use the equation for uniform acceleration, which is:
v = u + at
Where:
v = final velocity (speed at which the pinecone hit the ground)
u = initial velocity (speed at which the pinecone was thrown)
a = acceleration (which in this case would be due to gravity)
t = time taken
We can assume that the initial velocity (u) is zero since the pinecone was thrown from a height rather than being launched horizontally.
Given:
Initial velocity (u) = 0 m/s
Acceleration due to gravity (a) = 9.8 m/s² (on the surface of the Earth)
Time taken (t) = 4.5 seconds
Substituting the values into the equation, we can solve for the final velocity (v):
v = 0 + (9.8 × 4.5)
v = 0 + 44.1
v ≈ 44.1 m/s
Therefore, the pinecone was traveling at a speed of approximately 44.1 meters per second when it hit the ground.