Question

A student drops a pen from a classroom window on the third floor of the mathematics building. If the pen is dropped from37 ft above ground level, how long is the pen in the air? Use - 32 ft/s2 for the acceleration caused by gravity. Ignore airresistance. Round your final answer to two decimal places.

Answer 1

ANSWER

1.52 seconds

EXPLANATION

When an object is dropped from a height y, the equation that relates the height and the time the object is in the air for is,

$y=\frac{1}{2}gt^2$

Knowing that y = 37ft and g = 32ft/s², we have to find t,

$t=\sqrt[]{\frac{2y}{g}}$

Replace the values,

$t=\sqrt[]{\frac{2\cdot37ft}{32ft/s^2}}=\sqrt[]{2.3125s^2}\approx1.52s$

The pen was in the air for 1.52 seconds.