Question

The flight of a shot put after it has been thrown is modeled by the equation y = -16x^2 + 400, where y is the height of the shot put, in meters, and x is the distance traveled, also in meters. How far was the shot put thrown?

Answer 1

The shot put was thrown a distance of 5 meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the distance the shot put was thrown, we need to find the value of x when y is 0. We can do this by substituting y = 0 into the equation and solving for x:

0 = -16x^2 + 400

Simplifying the equation:

16x^2 = 400

Dividing both sides of the equation by 16:

x^2 = 25

Taking the square root of both sides of the equation:

x = ±5

Since we're dealing with a distance, x cannot be negative, so the shot put was thrown a distance of 5 meters.