Formula

Falling Objects Formula

On Earth, if an object is dropped from a height of hh feet, the time tt in seconds it takes to reach the ground is given by:

t=h4t = \frac{\sqrt{h}}{4}

This formula relates the drop height directly to the fall time through a square root. To use it, substitute the known height into the formula and simplify. For example, if an object is dropped from a height of 64 feet, substitute h=64h = 64:

t=644=84=2t = \frac{\sqrt{64}}{4} = \frac{8}{4} = 2

The object takes 2 seconds to reach the ground. Because the formula involves a square root, the result will be a whole number only when the height is a perfect square multiplied by 16; otherwise, the answer will be an irrational number that must be approximated.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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