1. What is Impact Speed?

Impact speed is the velocity at which an object hits the ground when dropped from a certain height. It's calculated using principles of free-fall physics and is important for understanding collision forces.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the impact speed formula:

Where:

• \( v \) — Impact speed (m/s)
• \( g \) — Acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s² on Earth)
• \( h \) — Height from which object is dropped (meters)

Explanation: The formula comes from equating potential energy at height h with kinetic energy at impact, ignoring air resistance.

3. Importance of Impact Speed Calculation

Details: Calculating impact speed helps in safety engineering, accident reconstruction, and understanding the forces involved in falls or collisions.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter height in meters and gravity in m/s² (9.81 for Earth). All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Does this account for air resistance?
A: No, this is the theoretical maximum speed in a vacuum. Actual impact speeds will be lower due to air resistance.

Q2: What's the impact speed from 10 meters?
A: On Earth, about 14 m/s or 50.4 km/h (31.3 mph).

Q3: How does gravity affect impact speed?
A: Higher gravity increases impact speed proportionally to the square root of g.

Q4: Can I use this for objects thrown downward?
A: No, this only works for objects dropped from rest. For thrown objects, you need to include initial velocity.

Q5: What's the relationship between height and impact speed?
A: Impact speed increases with the square root of height - doubling height increases speed by √2 (about 1.41 times).