SOLUTION – CAR TIMING

From the oil drops, it can be determined that

the car accelerates at about 3 m/s2 Time (s) Displacement (m)
0.0 0.0
2𝑑 2 (6 𝑚) 1.0 1.5
𝑎= 2 = 2 = 3 𝑠𝑚2
𝑡 2𝑠 2.0 6.0

It takes the car 2.83 seconds 𝑣𝑖 0 m/s 2𝑑 2 (12 𝑚)

to travel the 12 meters to get 𝑡= =
in position 𝑣𝑓 --- 𝑎 3 𝑠𝑚2

𝑑 12 m = 2.83 𝑠
*Note: this is the distance for the
middle of the car to get there, not 𝑎 3 m/s2
just the front
𝑡 2.83 s

12 meters
SOLUTION – FREE FALL TIMING
Conversion for “Floor Number” to “Distance from Railing to Ground”:
16th Floor 𝑑 = 4.5 𝑚 + 𝑛 − 1 3 𝑚 + (1 𝑚)
(50.5 m) Lobby height Floor height Railing height

12th Floor
2𝑑 2 (38.5 𝑚)
(38.5 m) 𝑡= = = 𝟐. 𝟕𝟕 𝒔
𝑎 10 𝑠𝑚2

8th Floor
𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑖 + 𝑎𝑡 = 0 𝑚
𝑠
+ 10 𝑚
2 2.77 𝑠 = 𝟐𝟕. 𝟕𝟓 𝒎
𝒔
(26.5 m) 𝑠

Floor Height Hang Time Impact Velocity

16th Floor 50.5 m 3.18 s 31.78 m/s
12th Floor 38.5 m 2.77 s 27.75 m/s
8th Floor 26.5 m 2.30 s 23.02 m/s
SOLUTION – BRINGING IT TOGETHER
The evidence gained regarding the timing for the car and the impact velocity of the
dropped object both suggest that the object was dropped from the 12th Floor making
Suspect #2 – Don Daisy (the great great grandson of the vase’s original owner) our culprit

Floor Height Hang Time Impact Velocity

16th Floor 50.5 m 3.18 s 31.78 m/s
12th Floor 38.5 m 2.77 s 27.75 m/s
8th Floor 26.5 m 2.30 s 23.02 m/s

𝑣𝑖 0 m/s Car blocked the view Impact velocity test in clue #6

roughly 2.8 seconds after suggests that the plant hit the
𝑣𝑓 --- the light turned green and ground going around 28 m/s
𝑑 12 m the plant was dropped
𝑎 3 m/s2
𝑡 2.83 s