Question

Billy throws a ball out of a window at his house on accident. The height of the ball from the ground, h(t), over time, t, can be modeled by a quadratic function.

Each of the following functions is a different form of the quadratic model for the situation above. Which form would be the most helpful if attempting to determine the time required for the ball to hit the ground?

A. h(t) = -16(t - 3)(t + 1)

B. h(t) = -16(t - 1)2 + 64

C. h(t) = -16t2 + 32t + 48

D. h(t) = -16t(t - 2) + 48

Answer 1

Answer is A.

The right side is fully factored so you have the solutions for t (i.e. 3 or -1) when h=0 (i.e. the ball is on the ground).