Question

A clam of mass 0.12 kg dropped by a seagull takes 3.0 s to hit the ground. [Neglect friction.]

Answer 1

-- The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s².
So if there's no air resistance, the speed of a falling object
always increases by 9.8 m/s for every second it falls.

             Speed  =  (original speed) + (gravity  x  falling time)

-- If it has no vertical speed when it started, then at the end
of 3 seconds, its speed is

                         =       (0)            + (9.8 m/s²  x  3 sec)

                       Velocity  =  29.4 m/s downward .