Final answer:
The initial height of the baseball can be found by setting the time variable, t, to zero in the height equation h = – 16t² + 12t + 40, which results in the initial height being 40 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formula for throwing a baseball in the air is represented by h = – 16t² + 12t + 40, where h is the height of the ball and t is the time after throwing the ball. To find the initial height of the ball, we can set t to zero since at the initial time the ball has not yet been affected by gravity or any other force. Plugging in t = 0 into the equation yields:
h = – 16(0)² + 12(0) + 40
h = 40
Therefore, the initial height of the ball is 40 feet.