Question

At a recent egg-tossing contest, one student threw an egg 80 feet. Someone in the crowd observed that the egg reached a maximum height of 16 feet. What equation could be used to model the path of the tossed egg?

A) y = -16x^2 + 80x
B) y = 80x - 16x^2
C) y = 16x^2 - 80x
D) y = 80x + 16x^2

Answer 1

The equation that could be used to model the path of the tossed egg is y = -16x^2 + 80x. The first term accounts for the effect of gravity pulling the egg downwards, while the second term represents the horizontal motion of the egg.

Step-by-step explanation:

The equation that could be used to model the path of the tossed egg is y = -16x^2 + 80x (Option A).

To understand why this is the correct equation, we can break it down:

- The term -16x^2 represents the effect of gravity pulling the egg downwards. This term is negative because gravity works in the opposite direction of the positive y-axis.

- The term 80x represents the horizontal motion of the egg. As x increases, the egg moves further horizontally.

Combining these terms gives us the equation that accurately models the path of the tossed egg.