A heavy stone is thrown with a speed v from a cliff of height h . The stone will strike the ground with maximum speed if it is thrown

Step-by-step solution

Let the mass of the stone be m . Using the principle of conservation of mechanical energy, the total energy of the stone at the point of projection is equal to its total energy just before striking the ground. Initial energy E_i = 1 2 mv^2 + mgh Final energy E_f = 1 2 mV^2 Equating the initial and final energies: 1 2 mV^2 = 1 2 mv^2 + mgh V = v^2 + 2gh The final speed V depends only on the initial speed v , the height h , and acceleration due to gravity g . It does not depend on the angle of projection. Therefore,