# How would you solve the following physics acceleration and free fall problem?

1. Oct 22, 2009

### cheerspens

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
A package is dropped from a helicopter. Note that both the helicopter and package are traveling upward at 10.0m/s when the package is released. If the package takes 3.5 seconds to hit the ground, how high was the helicopter when the package was released?
If the helicopter's velocity does no change, how far above the ground will the helicopter be located when the package hits the ground?
What is the maximum height above the ground that this package reaches after it was released by the helicopter?

2. Relevant equations

3. The attempt at a solution
So far I've tried to answer the first two questions question and got that the helicopter was 25.025m high when the package was released and was 60.025m above the ground when the package hit the ground. Of course I'm not sure if this is correct and I'm totally unsure about how to solve the last question about what the maximum height above the ground that the package reached.

I made an x vs. t graph, a v vs. t graph, and an a vs. t graph to help with solving these as well.

2. Oct 22, 2009

### willem2

use $v = v_0 + at$ to find the time of maximum altitude where v = 0

3. Oct 25, 2009

### cheerspens

So for the last question:
"What is the maximum height above the ground that this package reaches after it was released by the helicopter?"