Question about falling object

Ink

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Sep 11, 2015
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Hello everyone. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this.

i need help understanding the math behind a falling body.

from what I understand, you fall 16 feet your first second of free fall.

here is the formula I found:

(time (in seconds) x 32) divided by 2

here is where I get confused. The 2nd second, according to the formula, you fall 64 feet.

Now, does the 64 feet represent the total distance fallen, or just the amount fallen in that second? Or to ask another way, did I fall 64 feet total or 80 feet total (16 in second 1 and 64 in second 2)?

can someone help me understand? Thank you in advance
 
Hello everyone. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this.

i need help understanding the math behind a falling body.

from what I understand, you fall 16 feet your first second of free fall.

here is the formula I found:

(time (in seconds) x 32) divided by 2

here is where I get confused. The 2nd second, according to the formula, you fall 64 feet.

Now, does the 64 feet represent the total distance fallen, or just the amount fallen in that second? Or to ask another way, did I fall 64 feet total or 80 feet total (16 in second 1 and 64 in second 2)?

can someone help me understand? Thank you in advance

I suppose you are looking at an equation from which you are calculating those values.

Please post THAT equation along with explanation of each variable.
 
Hello everyone. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this.

i need help understanding the math behind a falling body.

from what I understand, you fall 16 feet your first second of free fall.

here is the formula I found:

(time (in seconds) x 32) divided by 2

here is where I get confused. The 2nd second, according to the formula, you fall 64 feet.

Now, does the 64 feet represent the total distance fallen, or just the amount fallen in that second? Or to ask another way, did I fall 64 feet total or 80 feet total (16 in second 1 and 64 in second 2)?

can someone help me understand? Thank you in advance

The formula that you found is incorrect.
NOT: (time x 32) divided by 2
CORRECT: (time2 x 32) divided by 2

Then time is in seconds and the result is in feet.
The formula only holds for an object being dropped with no initial velocity at time = 0.
The result is the total distance fallen since dropped, at time t.

So, when 1 sec has passed since being dropped, the object has dropped 16 ft total.
So, when 2 sec has passed since being dropped, the object has dropped 64 ft total.
 
The formula that you found is incorrect.
NOT: (time x 32) divided by 2
CORRECT: (time2 x 32) divided by 2

Then time is in seconds and the result is in feet.
The formula only holds for an object being dropped with no initial velocity at time = 0.
The result is the total distance fallen since dropped, at time t.

So, when 1 sec has passed since being dropped, the object has dropped 16 ft total.
So, when 2 sec has passed since being dropped, the object has dropped 64 ft total.


Thank you you for the reply. In my head, I was doing time ^2, but I forgot to add that part when I typed out my question ?


so so just to clarify, I do NOT add the first and 2nd second together? The object falls 64 feet total...not 80?
 
Thank you you for the reply. In my head, I was doing time ^2, but I forgot to add that part when I typed out my question ?


so so just to clarify, I do NOT add the first and 2nd second together? The object falls 64 feet total...not 80?

Other things to remember while using that equation:

1) The speed of the object is Zero - initially

2) The object is falling under earth's gravity (a different equation need to be used on Moon or Jupiter)
 
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