Final answer:
It takes approximately 5.0 seconds for the rock to hit the ground after it is thrown.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the time when the rock hits the ground, we need to find the value of x when the distance between the rock and the ground is 0. In the given equation, f(x) = -16x^2 - 4x + 382, where f(x) represents the distance between the rock and the ground. We can set this equation equal to 0 and solve for x:
-16x^2 - 4x + 382 = 0
This is a quadratic equation. We can use the quadratic formula to solve for x:
x = (-b ± sqrt(b^2 - 4ac)) / (2a)
Plugging in the values from the equation, we get:
x = (-(-4) ± sqrt((-4)^2 - 4(-16)(382))) / (2(-16))
This simplifies to:
x = (4 ± sqrt(16 + 24512)) / (-32)
x = (4 ± sqrt(24528)) / (-32)
x ≈ (-4 ± 156.49) / (-32)
Since we're dealing with time, the negative value doesn't make sense in this context. So, we take the positive root:
x ≈ (4 + 156.49) / (-32)
x ≈ 160.49 / (-32)
x ≈ -5.0
Therefore, it takes approximately 5.0 seconds for the rock to hit the ground after it is thrown.