Question

eng physics a rock is dropped at sea cliff at the sound of it striking the ocean if head 3.4 seconds later. If the speed of sound is 340m/s how high is the cliff?

Answer 1

3.4 seconds= time for rock to fall+time for sound to come up.

falling: h=1/2 gt^2, or t= sqrt2h/g

sound: h=vsound*t or t=h/speedsound

3.4=sqrt 2h/g + h/speedsound

looks like a quadratic equation to me.
let u^2=h
u^2/speedsound+u sqrt2/g - 3.4=0
solve for u, then go back and solve for h.