Final answer:
To calculate the width of the tunnel at ground level modeled by the equation y=-1150(x-4)(x-24), we find the points where the function intersects the x-axis, which are x=4 and x=24. The width is the difference between the two, resulting in a tunnel width of 20 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to finding the width of a tunnel at ground level whose entrance can be modeled by the quadratic function y=-1150(x-4)(x-24), where x and y are in feet, and the x-axis represents the ground.
To find the width of the tunnel, we need to look at where the curve intersects the ground (where y=0). Setting the equation equal to zero gives us -1150(x-4)(x-24) = 0, and solving for x yields the points of intersection as x=4 and x=24 feet.
These points represent the opening of the tunnel on the x-axis. Thus, the width of the tunnel at ground level is the difference between these two points: 24 - 4 = 20 feet.