How Do You Calculate the Fall Time and Impact Velocity of a Dropped Capsule?

[cosie]

ok I'm completely lost in physics! i did this and it looks so simple but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. could someone help me out and tell me if my methods are correct. thanks!

a plane drops a rescue capsule from an altitude of 8500 m.

how long does it take for the capsule to fall to earth, assuming air resistance is negligible?

y=1/2gt^2
8500=1/2(9.8)(t^2)
t=41.64

what is the vertical component of the rescue capsule's velocity when it hits the ground.
Vy=g(t)
=(9.8) 41.64
=408.072

 

[Tedjn]

You're correct, but make sure to include your units. Also, remember that the vertical component is a vector, so you should include the unit vector j (by convention), and it would be negative if you define up to be positive (if you define down to be positive, then your answer would be right as it is).

 

[Hootenanny]

Be sure to round correctly, t = 41.649... (and give correct units as Tedjn says).