Question

The crew from Disneyland Entertainment launches fireworks at an angle. The height of the firework can be modeled by h(t) = -2t^2+ 8t + 300 where height, h, is measured in feet and the

time, t, in seconds. What is the greatest height the fireworks reach?

Answer 1

The function given here is a quadratic function of the form f(t) = at^2 + bt + c, where a is -2, b is 8, and c is 300. The maximum value of a quadratic function occurs at its vertex. For a function in the form f(t) = at^2 + bt + c, the t-coordinate of the vertex is given by -b/(2a). We can use this to find the time at which the firework reaches its maximum height.

Given a = -2 and b = 8, we can calculate t = -b/(2a):

t = -8/(2*-2) = 2

We can then substitute this value back into the height equation to find the maximum height:

h(2) = -2(2)^2 + 8*2 + 300

h(2) = -8 + 16 + 300

h(2) = 308

So, the greatest height the fireworks reach is 308 feet.