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When a ruler falls vertically, 5 different persons catch it with different reaction times (take g=9.8 m s⁻²).
A. Person A has a reaction time of 0.20 s.
B. Person B has a reaction time of 0.22 s.
C. Person C has a reaction time of 0.18 s.
D. Person D has a reaction time of 0.19 s.
E. Person E has a reaction time of 0.21 s.
What is the correct order of the distance travelled by the ruler for each person?

Asked in NEET 2026 · Free fall from rest

Answer: (3) B>E>A>D>C

Step-by-step solution

Given: reaction times A 0.20 s, B 0.22 s, C 0.18 s, D 0.19 s, E 0.21 s; the ruler starts from rest.

Idea: the ruler is in free fall for exactly the reaction time, so the distance is h=1/2gt² and rises with t.

h increases with t, so ordering the distances is the same as ordering the reaction times.

Longest to shortest: 0.22>0.21>0.20>0.19>0.18, that is B, E, A, D, C.

So S_B>S_E>S_A>S_D>S_C.

Why the other options are wrong

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