Question

a big cruise ship dropped anchor off the Caribbean island of antigua. the heavy anchor dropped into the water at a rate of 2.5 meters per second after 45 seconds the anchor was 40 meters below the waters surface. from what height above the water surface was the anchor released? how long did it take the anchor the reach the water surface?

Answer 1

Falling at the rate of 2.5 m/s for 45 seconds, the anchor fell

                                     (2.5 m/s) x (45 s)  =  112.5 meters .

If it wound up only 40 meters underwater, then it must have fallen

                                      (112.5 m  -  40 m)  =  72.5 meters

from its storage position on the big cruise ship, 
before it ever reached the water.

Since it was falling at the rate of  2.5 m/s, it took

                                     (72.5 m) / (2.5 m/s)  =  29 seconds

to get down to the water surface after it started dropping.