Final answer:
Without the height from which the ball was launched, the time for the ball to hit the ground cannot be calculated directly from the provided information. However, a similar calculation suggests the time in the air would be approximately 3.79 seconds, which is not an option given in the question. The question may contain an error or lack necessary information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The time it takes for a ball launched into the sky to strike the ground depends on its initial vertical velocity and the acceleration due to gravity. Given an initial vertical velocity of 54.4 feet per second, we can calculate the time using the formula s = ut + (1/2)at^2, where s is the displacement, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is time. In the absence of air resistance, the acceleration due to gravity is -9.8 m/s² (or approximately -32.2 feet/s² downwards).
Transforming feet to meters, since acceleration is given in meters per second squared, we can calculate the time when the ball will hit the ground. The quadratic formula can be used if the flight path of the ball is given as a quadratic equation, but in this summary, no height displacement or quadratic equation is given, so we cannot directly calculate the time. We need to know the height from which the ball is thrown or use the information provided by the quadratic formula to deduce the answer.
In this scenario, however, we are provided with a calculation stating that a vertical velocity similar to our given scenario results in a time in the air of approximately 3.79 seconds. So the closest answer from the provided options is 4 seconds (rounded off), which is not listed among the choices a) through d), implying that possibly there could be an error in the question or that the initial vertical velocity provided does not match the scenario described.