Assistance with Vertical Terminal Velocity motion - What do you think?

1. Homework Statement
A parachutist is falling vertically with a uniform speed of 12 m/s. At the instant he is 50m above the ground, he drops a coin. (Ignore Air Resistance)
A) What is the seed with which the coin strikes the ground?
b) How long does it take for the coin to reach the ground

C) WHAT IS THE TIME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COIN AND PARACHUTIST REACHING THE GROUND?

2. Homework Equations
v^2 = u^@ + 2ax
x=Ut+0.5at^2
x=0.5(u+v)t
v=u+at

3. The Attempt at a Solution
a)
=> v^2 = 12^2 +2(9.8)(50)
final velocity of coin= 33.53m/s RIGHT

b)
x=ut + 0.5at^2
50= 12t +0.5(9.8)t^2
4.9t^2 +12t -50=0
time for coin to reach ground = 2.19s

c) =???

Is this question able to be solved, with the current data, because I believe I would need mass or total displacement to correctly work the answer.

Kindest Regards,
TheKovac

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Hootenanny
Staff Emeritus
Gold Member
HINT: The parachutist is traveling at constant velocity.

My goodness, could be as simple as:

t= x/a
=> t= 50/9.8

Which would result in:

t= 4.16s
=> t(coin)= 2.16s
=> t(parachute) = 4.16s
t(difference) = 2s

Is that how simple the answer is?

Hootenanny
Staff Emeritus
Gold Member
Your close, but be careful. What is the definition of velocity?

Velocity = Vector quantity of the rate of change of displacement.

So I am missing direction? Thats it?

Hootenanny
Staff Emeritus
Gold Member
Velocity = Vector quantity of the rate of change of displacement.

So I am missing direction? Thats it?
Not quite, speed is defined as the magnitude of velocity, or the rate of change of distance with time,

$$|v| = \frac{dx}{dt}$$

not

$$|v| \neq \frac{da}{dt}$$

as you had. In this case the acceleration is zero.

So with that in mind, is this how to work the difference?

If the velocity is constant, then can we use t = x/v ?

t(parachutist)= 50/12
t(parachutisit)= 4.16
t(coin) = 2.16s
t(difference) = 2s

I think this one is right?

I worked out that my problem above, is that I used the equation for acceleration, when Acceleration was Zero, instead I should have used the equation for velocity, right?

Hootenanny
Staff Emeritus
Gold Member
So with that in mind, is this how to work the difference?

If the velocity is constant, then can we use t = x/v ?

t(parachutist)= 50/12
t(parachutisit)= 4.16
t(coin) = 2.16s
t(difference) = 2s

I think this one is right?
I've not checked your arithmetic, but your method is correct, as it is for all the previous questions