You drop a stick from a height of 64 feet. At the same time, your friend drops a stick from a height of 144 feet. a: After how many seconds does your stick hit the ground?

Question

b: how many seconds later does your friend's stick hit the ground

Answer 1

The formula for a dropped object is:

d = 16t²

where d is the distance the object has fallen (in feet) in time t (in seconds). Solving for t:

d/16 = t²

√(d/16) = t

For an object dropped from 64 feet:

√(64/16) = t

√4 = t

2 sec = t

You can do 144 feet. Subtract 2 seconds from it to answer item (b).