Individual distance between water droplets

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SUMMARY

The problem involves calculating the distance between individual water droplets falling from a height of 16 meters, with the first drop reaching the ground at the same time the fifth drop begins to fall. Using the equation of motion, the total time for the first drop to reach the ground is determined to be approximately 1.807 seconds. The distances between the drops are calculated to be 7 meters, 5 meters, 3 meters, and 1 meter, corresponding to the intervals between the drops as they fall.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of kinematic equations, specifically the equation of motion: Δy = Uy.t + 1/2 a.t²
  • Basic knowledge of free fall and gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s²)
  • Ability to perform time interval calculations and distance measurements
  • Familiarity with concepts of uniform acceleration and motion in one dimension
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  • Study the kinematic equations in detail, focusing on their applications in free fall scenarios
  • Explore the concept of uniformly accelerated motion and its implications in real-world physics
  • Learn about the derivation and application of gravitational acceleration in various contexts
  • Investigate problems involving multiple objects in motion to enhance problem-solving skills
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Homework Statement


Question: Drops of water fall from the roof of a building 16m high at regular intervals of time, the first drop reaching the ground at the same instant that the fifth drop starts to fall. Find the distance between te individual drops in the air a the instant the first drop reaches the ground.

So we have:
[tex]\Delta[/tex] y = 16m
a = 9.8 m/s^-2

2. The attempt at a solution
I've worked out the total time to be 1.806 s for the first drop to reach the floor through:
[tex]\Delta[/tex]y = Uy.t + 1/2 a.t^2
16 = 0 + 4.9t^2
t = 1.807s

I've also tried finding 1/5th of the the time, then 2/5th's and so on, then using that time to get the distance and then finding the resulting distance from the last drop...

I've been trying all day to get the distance between each individual drop... The answers are 7m, 5m, 3m, 1m.
 
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There are five drops, but how many intervals are there that separate them?
 

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