Question

On some strange planet you find that a 17.4 kg object falls downward 28.8 meters in 5.5 seconds. What is the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity on this planet

Answer 1

Hi there!

$\large\boxed{g = 1.904 m/s^2}$

Acceleration of gravity is unaffected by an object's mass.

In the absence of air resistance, we can use the following kinematic equation:

d = vit + 1/2at²

The object falls from rest, so:

d = 1/2at²

The acceleration in this instance is gravity, our unknown. We can rearrange the equation to solve for 'g':

2d/t² = g

2(28.8)/(5.5²) = 1.904 m/s²