Final answer:
The ball will reach its maximum height 3 seconds after being thrown.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the time when the ball reaches its maximum height, we need to determine the vertex of the quadratic equation representing the ball's height. The equation h(x)=-(x+1)(x-7) can be rewritten in vertex form as h(x)=-x^2+6x-7. The x-coordinate of the vertex can be found using the formula x = -b/2a, where a, b, and c are the coefficients of the quadratic equation.
In this case, a = -1 and b = 6. Plugging these values into the formula, we get x = -6/-2 = 3. Therefore, the ball reaches its maximum height 3 seconds after being thrown.