PhysicsLAB: Dropped From Rest

A rock dropped from the top of a cliff picks up speed as it falls. Pretend that a speedometer and odometer are attached to the rock to show readings of speed and distance at 1-second intervals. Both speed and distance are zero at time = zero (see sketch). Note that after falling 1 second the speed reading is 10 m/sec and the distance fallen is 5 m. The readings for succeeding seconds of fall are not shown and are left for you to complete. So record the position of the speedometer pointer and write in the correct odometer reading for each time.

To simplify your calculations, you may use g = 10 m/sec² and neglect air resistance.

speed
(m/sec)

distance
(m)

2 sec

3 sec

4 sec

5 sec

6 sec

The speedometer reading increases by the same amount, ____ m/sec, each second.

This increase in speed per second is called ____.

The distance fallen increases as the square of the ____.

Refer to the following information for the next four questions.

Suppose that it takes a total of 7 seconds for the rock to reach the base of the cliff.

Its speed at impact is ____ m/sec.

The total distance fallen is ____ m.

Its acceleration of fall just before impact is ____ m/s².

However, the distance that it fell during only the 7th second was ____ m.