Enter the height at which an object is being dropped into the calculator to determine the impact velocity. This calculator can also calculate the height when given the impact velocity.

Impact Velocity Formula

The following formula is used to calculate an impact velocity.

v = Sqrt ( 2 * g * h )
  • Where v is the impact velocity (m/s)
  • g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2)
  • h is the height of the object (m)

To calculate impact velocity, multiply the height by 2 times the acceleration due to gravity, then take the square root of the result.

Impact Velocity Definition

An impact velocity is the total speed of an object when it makes an impact on the ground or another object after falling from a certain distance.

Impact Velocity Example

How to calculate impact velocity?

The following example goes over the necessary steps to calculate the impact velocity of a falling object given the height of the object and assuming that there is no air resistance and no other forces acting on the object.

The first step is to determine or measure the height at which the object is going to be dropped.

For this example, the height of the object is 10 meters (m).

The next and last step is to use the formula above to calculate the impact velocity:

v = Sqrt ( 2 * g * h )

v = Sqrt ( 2 * 9.81 * 10 )

v = 14.007 m/s.

FAQ

What is an impact velocity?

An impact velocity is a measure of the speed of an object when it impacts another surface. It’s most often used when analyzing objects that are dropped from a certain height.