In order to open the clam it catches, a seagull will drop the clam repeatedly onto a hard surface from high in the air until the shell cracks. If a seagull flies to a height of 27 m, how long will the clam take to fall?

##2.3s## (2sf), Assuming dropped from rest vertically with no air resistance.

Assuming that we are treating the clam as falling vertically from rest with no air resistance, the following should sort it:

Downwards is positive.

##s=27m## ##u=0ms^-1## ##v=vms^-1## ##a=g=9.81ms^-2## ##t=?s##

We are looking for ##t##, and with the information we have, we don't need to worry about ##v##.

Use the constant equation: ##s=ut+1/2at^2##

##27=1/2(g)t^2##

##t^2=54/9.81##

##t=2.34618....s##

##t=2.3s## (2sf)