A boulder with a mass of 682 kg is resting on the edge of a 85 m cliff. If it falls off the cliff and lands on top of the coyote , what is its velocity as it strikes the ground?

Here's how to calculate the boulder's velocity as it strikes the ground:<br /><br />**1. Identify the knowns:**<br /><br />* Initial velocity (v₀) = 0 m/s (since it starts at rest)<br />* Acceleration due to gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s² (approximately)<br />* Displacement (Δy) = -85 m (negative because it's falling downwards)<br /><br />**2. Choose the appropriate kinematic equation:**<br /><br />We can use the following equation, which relates final velocity (v), initial velocity (v₀), acceleration (g), and displacement (Δy):<br /><br />v² = v₀² + 2gΔy<br /><br />**3. Substitute the known values:**<br /><br />v² = (0 m/s)² + 2 * (9.8 m/s²) * (-85 m)<br />v² = -1666 m²/s²<br /><br />**4. Solve for the final velocity (v):**<br /><br />v = √(-1666 m²/s²)<br /><br />Since we're dealing with velocity, which has a direction, we take the square root of the magnitude and consider the direction separately. The negative sign indicates the velocity is downwards.<br /><br />v ≈ -40.8 m/s<br /><br />**Answer:**<br /><br />The boulder's velocity as it strikes the ground is approximately -40.8 m/s, where the negative sign indicates the downward direction.<br />