Question

The arch of the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Sydney, Australia, can be modeled by a quadratic function where x is the distance (in meters) from the left pylons and y is the height (in meters) of the arch above the water. Write the function rule for the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Also describe what the x-intercepts represent in the context of the bridge problem.

Answer 1

The quadratic function for the Sydney Harbor Bridge arch is y = ax^2 + bx + c. The x-intercepts represent points where the bridge is level with the water surface.

Step-by-step explanation:

To model the arch of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, we can use a quadratic function of the form y = ax^2 + bx + c. The x-intercepts of the function represent the points where the arch is at the same height as the water. In the context of the bridge problem, the x-intercepts represent the points where the bridge is level with the water surface.