Question

William is competing in the shot put event at a track meet. The quadratic expression that models the vertical height of the shot from the ground, in feet, over the horizontal distance traveled, in feet, x, is given below.

-2x^2+3x+5

What do the zeros of the expression represent?

A.
the initial height from which the shot was thrown
B.
the time it takes for the shot to reach the ground
C.
the maximum height of the shot
D.
the horizontal distance covered by the shot

Answer 1

The zero of the equation represents the maximum height attained by the shot put.

Explanation:

William is competing in the shot put event at a track meet. The quadratic expression that models the vertical height of the shot from the ground is

H =
`-2x^(2)+3x+5`

We can find the zeroes of these two equations.

For that put H = 0.

`-2x^(2)+3x+5` = 0

(-2x + 5)(x + 1) = 0

x= -1 or x = 2.5

x= -1 is neglected as it is not practical.

x = 2.5 is the maximum height attained by the shot put.

The zero of the equation represents the maximum height attained by the shot put.