Question

A rock is dropped one off a bridge takes five seconds to hit the water. Approximately what was the rugs velocity before the impact?

Answer 1

The acceleration of gravity on Earth is 9.8 m/s² .

After falling for 5 seconds, any falling object is falling (9.8 x 5) = 49 m/s
faster than it was when it was released.  Doesn't matter whether it was
dropped, thrown down, or thrown up.

Since the rug was just dropped, its initial speed was zero.
After five seconds, it is moving downward at 49 m/s .