Final answer:
The initial height of the object is found by evaluating the constant term in the equation h(t) = -16t² + 12t + 8 at t = 0, which gives us 8 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the initial height at which the object starts, we look at the given model of the object's path: h(t) = -16t² + 12t + 8. The initial height corresponds to the value of h(t) when t, the time, is zero. Plugging t = 0 into the equation, we find that the height h(0) is the value of the constant term in the quadratic equation, which in this case is 8 feet. Therefore, the object started at a height of 8 feet. In the context of projectile motion equations, the constant term represents the initial position or height. In this case, the object's initial height is 8 feet above the reference point.