Final answer:
Galileo dropped rocks of different weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to prove his conjecture. The height of a rock dropped from the tower can be represented by a function. The rock takes approximately 3.5 seconds to hit the ground.
Step-by-step explanation:
The height of a rock dropped from the top of the original Leaning Tower of Pisa can be represented by the function h(t) = 196 - 16t^2, where h(t) is the height in feet and t is the time in seconds. The term 16t^2 represents the distance the rock has fallen due to gravity, and the term 196 represents the initial height of the tower. The rock takes approximately 3.5 seconds to hit the ground.
To find h(1.25) - h(2.5), we substitute the values into the function. So h(1.25) represents the height of the rock after 1.25 seconds, and h(2.5) represents the height after 2.5 seconds. Subtracting these values would give us the change in height during that time period.