A helicopter is rising at 5.5 m/s when a bag of its cargo is dropped. (Assume that the positive direction is upward.)

Question

(a) After 1.5 s, what is the bag's velocity?


(b) How far has the bag fallen?

Answer 1

(a) v = v0 + at, v0 = 5.5 m/s, a = -g = -9.80 m/s.

(b) y = y0 + v0t + (1/2)at2
y-y0 = v0t + (1/2)at2

at2 is acceleration x time squared.