Question

A snowball is thrown from a height of 10 feet with an upward velocity of 20 feet per second. Using the function h=−16t²+20t+10, when does the snowball hit the ground? Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

A) 1.8 seconds
B) 2.2 seconds
C) 2.8 seconds
D) 3.5 seconds

Answer 1

The snowball thrown with an initial upward velocity from a height of 10 feet will hit the ground after approximately 1.8 seconds, as found by setting the height equation to zero and solving for the positive value of time.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine when the snowball hits the ground using the function h = -16t² + 20t + 10, we need to find the value of t when the height h equals zero since the ground level is represented by h = 0. We are looking for the positive value of t because time cannot be negative in this context. Setting the equation to zero and solving for t provides us with two possible solutions, but we are interested in the positive time of impact. Using the quadratic formula or through factoring, we find the time when the snowball hits the ground to be approximately 1.8 seconds, which corresponds to option A) 1.8 seconds.