A worker at the top of a 380-m-tall television transmitting tower accidentally drops a heavy tool. If air resistance is negligible, how fast (in m/s) is the tool going just before it hits the ground?

Answer 1

The final velocity is given by the equation V² = V²₀ + 2gH where V is the final velocity, V₀ the initial velocity (zero is this case), H is the height. This leads to V = SqRt ( 2 x 9.8 m/s² x 380 m)= ± 86.3 m/s. Only the positive root makes sense in this case.