A passenger in a helicopter traveling upwards at 27 m/s accidentally drops a package out the window. If it takes 17 seconds to reach the ground, how high to the nearest meter was the helicopter when the package was dropped?

1 answer

d = Vo*t + 0.5*9.8t^2,
d = -27*17 + 0.5*9.8(17)^2,
= -459 + 1416 = 957 m.

The neg. initial velocity means the helicopter is moving in opposite direction of the free falling object.