Dr.

Neal, Fall 2008

MATH 116

Falling Object Problems

As an application of quadratic functions, we will consider the height of an object that

moves straight upward or straight downward and is acted on only by gravity. There
are three general cases that we will consider:
I. Drop an object from a specified height.
(a) Determine the time it takes to fall a certain distance and the speed at this time.
(b) Determine the time it takes to hit the ground and the impact speed.
II. Toss an object straight upward from a specified height with a specified initial
velocity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Determine the maximum height.

Determine the times at which the object attains a particular speed.
Determine the total time it takes to return and hit the ground.
Determine the impact speed upon hitting the ground.

III. An object springs from the ground and reaches a certain height.
(a) Determine the time it takes to reach this height.
(b) Determine the initial velocity with which the object sprang from the ground.
(c) If the object sprang from the ground with the same initial velocity but under the
influence of a different gravity, then how high would it go and how long would it take
to reach the top?
Gravity
The acceleration due to gravity on Earth is about 32.174 ft/s2 (or about 9.8 m/s2). For
the sake of these problems, we will use g 32 ft/s2.
For aerodynamic objects falling short distances, there will not be much air
resistance; so we can assume that the only force acting on the object after initial launch
is g . However, for longer distances or for a non-aerodynamic object, there will be
considerable air drag that slows the object down and causes a terminal speed, which is
the maximum (downward) speed that the object can attain. Below are some
approximate terminal speeds.
Body
Skydiver (Vertical)
Skydiver (spread eagle)
Parachutist
Ping Pong Ball
Baseball
Golfball
Stone (1 cm rad)
Raindrop

Terminal Speed (ft/s)

278.8
180.4
21.32
22.96
131.2
98.4
98.4
32.8

Terminal Speed (mph)

190.1
123
14.54
15.65
89.45
67.1
67.1
22.36

Note: On the Moon, there is no atmosphere; hence, there will be no air resistance on
falling objects. The gravity on the moon is about 5.4 ft/s2.

Dr. Neal, Fall 2008

The Functions
We let h0 denote the initial height (in feet) and let v0 denote the initial velocity (in ft/s).
The variable will be time t measured in seconds. Using g 32 ft/s2, the height,
velocity, and speed functions, for t 0 , are:
Height
(in feet)
g
h(t) = t 2 + v0 t + h0
2

Velocity
(in feet per sec)

Speed
(in feet per sec)

v(t) = gt + v0

s(t) = v(t)

= 32t + v0

= 16t 2 + v0 t + h0

v0 > 0 for an object launched upward

v0 = 0 for a dropped object

= 32 t + v0

Max height occurs when v(t) = 0

Object hits ground when h(t) = 0

Velocity is positive for an object going upward and negative for an object going
downward. But the speed is always positive; so speed is just the absolute value of velocity.
Example 1. Drop an (aerodynamic) object from 30 feet. (a) Solve for the time T it
takes to fall 20 feet. How fast is it going at this time? (b) How long does it take to hit
the ground, and what is its impact speed in mph?
Solution. When dropping an object, we let v0 = 0 . Using h0 = 30 ft, we have
h(t) = 16t 2 + 30

v(t) = 32t

s(t) = 32t

(a) At time T , the object has fallen 20 feet, so the height is 30 20 = 10 ft. So now we set
h(T ) = 10 and solve for the time T . Then we evaluate the speed at this time by
multiplying by 32 ft/s2.
h(T ) = 10 16 T 2 + 30 = 10
The speed at this time is 32

16 T 2 = 20 T 2 =

20
T=
16

20
1.118 sec
4

20
= 8 20 35.777 ft/s.
4

(b) Now we repeat the work done in (a), but we first set the height equal to 0 to
indicate that the object has hit bottom. To convert ft/s to mph, multiply by 3600/5280.
h(t) = 0 16t 2 + 30 = 0 16t 2 = 30 t 2 =
The speed at this time is 32

30
30
t=
1.3693 sec
16
4

30
= 8 30 43.8178 ft/s ( 3600 / 5280) 29.87 mph.
4

Note: The time it takes to fall K feet is always given by

K / 4 sec.

Dr. Neal, Fall 2008

Example 2. An object is launched straight upward from 80 feet at 56 ft/s.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

With no air resistance, what are the height, velocity, and speed functions?
What is the maximum height of the object?
At what times does the object's speed equal 40 ft/sec?
In total, how long does it take for the object to hit the ground?
What is the object's speed when it hits the ground?

Solution. (a) Using v0 = 56 and h0 = 80 , we have

h(t) = 16t 2 + 56t + 80

v(t) = 32t + 56

s(t) = 32t + 56

(b) We first must find the time it takes to reach the maximum height, which occurs
when the velocity equals 0. So we solve v(t) = 0, and then substitute the time obtained
into the height function h(t).
v(t) = 0 32t + 56 = 0 32t = 56

t=

56
= 1.75 sec
32

which gives the time of reaching the maximum height. Then the max height is h(1.75) =
16(1.75)2 + 56(1.75) + 80 = 129 ft.
(c) There are two times when the speed equals 40 ft/s. Once on the way up when it has
slowed from 56 ft/s down to 40 ft/s, and again on the way down when the velocity
reaches 40 ft/s. To find these times, we must solve the equation
s(t) = 32t + 56 = 40
32t = 40 56

or

t=

v(t ) = 32t + 56 = 40

40 56
= 0.5 or
32

t=

40 56
=3
32

Thus, at times 0.5 sec and 3 sec, the speed is 40 ft/s.

(d) To find the time needed to hit the ground, we set h(t) = 0 and solve for t with the
quadratic formula or by factoring if possible. In any case, take only the positive
solution for t :
16t 2 + 56t + 80 = 0

8(2 t 2 7t 10) = 0 2t 2 7t 10 = 0

(7) (7) 2 4(2)( 10) 7 129

7 + 129
t=
=

4.5895 sec
2(2)
4
4
Easier: The total time to hit is 1.75 +

129
(time up + time to fall from max height)
4

(e) The impact velocity is 32 4.5895 + 56 90..864 ft/s, which gives an impact speed
of 90.864 ft/s. Or simply use 32 129 / 4 90.86 ft/s.

Dr. Neal, Fall 2008

Example 3. A ball bounces straight upward to a maximum height of 8 feet.

(a) Solve for the time T it takes to reach the maximum height and for the initial
velocity with which it sprang from the floor.
(b) With the same initial velocity found in Part (a), how high would the ball bounce on
the Krypton, where gravity is about 60 ft/s2, and how long would it take to get there?
(c) What would happen on Tatooine where gravity is only 12 ft/s 2?
Solution. For an object springing from the ground, we use h0 = 0. And the initial
velocity v0 is unknown, so the height and velocity functions are
h(t) = 16t 2 + v0 t

and

v(t) = 32t + v0 .

The maximum height of 8 feet occurs when v(T ) = 0 at time T . So we can set
h(T ) = 8 and the v(T ) = 0 to solve for the time T and initial velocity v0 .
16 T 2 + v 0 T = 8
32 T + v 0 = 0

v 0 = 32 T

sub into 1st eq

16 T 2 + 32 T 2 = 8
T2 =

8
= 0.5 T =
16

16 T 2 + (32 T )T = 8

16 T 2 = 8
0.5 0.7071 sec

Then, v0 = 32 T = 32 0.5 22.6274 ft/s is the initial velocity with which the ball left
the floor.
(b) Using the time of 0.5 sec and the height of 8 ft of the bouncing ball on Earth, we
simply multiply by the ratio of gravities 32/60 to get the time and height of a ball
having the same initial velocity on Krypton:
t = 0.5

32
0.377 sec and
60

h = 8

32
4.267 ft.
60

So the stronger gravity greatly reduces the time and height.

(c) With a weaker gravity of 12 ft/s2 on Tatooine, the time and height increase:

t = 0.5

32
1.8856 sec and
12

h = 8

32
21.33 ft.
12

Dr. Neal, Fall 2008

Exercises
1. If you bungee jump from 100 ft, how fast (in mph) will you be going when you have
fallen 75 ft? If you (unfortunately) hit the ground, at what speed will you splat?
2. An object is dropped and it takes 2.45 seconds to hit the ground.
original height of the object and the impact speed.

Estimate the

3. An object is thrown straight upward (on Earth) from 192 ft at 104 ft/sec.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

With no air resistance, what are the height, velocity, and speed functions?
What is the maximum height of the object?
At what times does the object's speed equal 60 ft/sec ?
In total, how long does it take for the object to hit the ground?
What is the object's speed in mph when it hits the ground?

4. A ball bounces straight upward to a maximum height of 4.5 feet.

(a) Solve for the time T it takes to reach the maximum height and for the initial
velocity with which it sprang from the floor.
(b) With the same initial velocity found in Part (a), how high would the ball bounce on
the Moon where gravity is about 5.4 ft/s2 and how long would it take to get there?

Dr. Neal, Fall 2008

Solutions
1. Assume v0 = 0 so that you are simply dropped from h0 = 100 ft. Then
h(t) = 16t 2 + 100 and v(t) = 32t
When you have fallen 75 ft, then your height is 25 ft. We need to solve for this time
T when h(T ) = 25 , and then evaluate the speed at this time.
h(T ) = 25

16T 2 + 100 = 25 16T 2 = 75 T =

75
75
=
2.165 sec .
16
4

Your speed at this time is 32 75 / 4 69.28 ft/s, or ( 3600 / 5280) 47.24 mph.
If you hit the ground, then h(t) = 0 . We now solve for this time, then evaluate the
impact speed at this time.
100
h(t) = 0 16t 2 + 100 = 0 16t 2 = 100 t =
= 2.5 sec .
4
Your speed at 2.5 sec is about 32 2.5 = 80 ft/s, or ( 3600 / 5280) 54.54 mph.
------------------------------------------------------------------2. Because the object is dropped, we use v0 = 0. Thus, h(t) = 16t 2 + h0 and v(t) = 32t .
The height becomes 0 when t = 2.45; so we substitute this time for t while setting
the height equal to 0:
16(2.45)2 + h0 = 0

h0 = 16(2.45)2

96 ft.

The impact velocity is 32 2.45 = 78.4 ft/s; so the impact speed is about 78.4 ft/s
or 53.45 mph.
------------------------------------------------------------------3. (a) h(t) = 16t 2 + 104t + 192
v(t) = 32t + 104
s(t) = 32 t + 104
(b) Solve v(t) = 0 32t + 104 = 0 t = 3.25 sec, which gives the time of reaching
the maximum height. So the maximum height is h(3.25) = 361 ft.
(c) Solve v(t) = 60 32t + 104 = 60 32t = 44 or 32t = 164
Thus, at times t = 44/32 = 1.375 sec and t = 164/32 = 5.125 sec, the speed is 60 ft/s.
(d) The total time to hit the ground is t = 3.25 +

361
= 8 sec.
4

(e) The impact speed upon falling from the max height is 32 361 / 4 = 152 ft/s
(3600/5280) 103.636 mph.

Dr. Neal, Fall 2008

4. For the bouncing ball, we use h0 = 0. So now h(t) = 16t 2 + v0 t and v(t) = 32t + v0 .
The initial velocity v0 and the time T to reach 4.5 ft in height are unknown. But we can
set the height equal to 4.5 and the velocity equal to 0 to solve for T and v0 .
16 T 2 + v 0 T = 4.5
32 T + v 0 = 0
v 0 = 32 T
T2 =
Then, v0 = 32 T = 32
ball left the floor.

sub into 1st eq

4.5
T=
16

16 T 2 + (32 T )T = 4.5 16 T 2 = 4.5

4.5
0.53 sec
4

4.5
= 8 4.5 16.97 ft/s is the initial velocity with which the
4

4.5
sec and the height of 4.5 ft of the bouncing ball on
4
Earth, we simply multiply by the ratio of gravities 32/5.4 to get the time and height of a
ball having the same initial velocity on the Moon:
(b) Using the time of T =

t=

4.5 32

3.1427 sec and

4
5.4

h = 4.5

32
26.67 ft.
5.4

(Note: Because the Moon has a weaker gravity, the time should be longer and the
height greater, which is why we multiply by 32/5.4 rather than 5.4/32.)