Final answer:
The equation that represents the path of Max's baseball hit reaching a maximum height at a certain horizontal distance should be written in vertex form, as it provides the coordinates of the peak of the parabola.
Step-by-step explanation:
To represent the path of Max's baseball hit which reaches a maximum height of 20 feet at a horizontal distance of 15 feet from the tee, you would use the vertex form of a quadratic equation. The vertex form is particularly useful when you have the coordinates of the apex of the parabola, which in this case is the highest point of the ball's trajectory. The vertex form of a quadratic equation is written as y = a(x - h)2 + k, where (h, k) is the vertex of the parabola. Here, the vertex would be (15, 20), representing the maximum height of 20 feet at a horizontal distance of 15 feet.