If you drop a 1.0 kg weight from a height of 1.0 m, how many joules of kinetic energy will it have when it reaches the ground?

Question

Can I use the equation for work: W = F*s to find the kinetic energy?
Or would I have to find the velocity of the weight as it falls because I'm not sure how to do that.

Answer 1

You can do it either way.
The work done (by gravity) is
M*g*H = 9.8 Joules
That equals the final kinetic energy.

Vfinal = sqrt(2 g H)
(1/2)M*Vfinal^2 = M g H

Answer 2

48.02J