Final answer:
To find the height of the ball when it leaves the child's hand, we substitute x = 0 into the equation y = -1/16x² + 6x + 3, which gives us a height of 3 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to determine the height of the ball at the moment it leaves the child's hand. This corresponds to the value of y when x, the horizontal distance, is zero, since the ball has not yet traveled any distance in the horizontal direction. We are given the equation y = -1/16x² + 6x + 3.
To find the initial height, we substitute x = 0 into the equation and get y = 3 feet. Therefore, the ball is 3 feet off the ground when it leaves the child's hand.