Final answer:
To calculate the width of the cooling tower at the base, substitute h = 0 into the equation h = 0.80t + 5.50 and solve for t.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cooling Towers and Width Calculation
In the given information, the cooling tower's walls are modeled by h = 0.80t + 5.50, where the measurements are in meters. To determine the width of the cooling tower at the base, we need to find the value of t when h is equal to zero.
Substitute h = 0 into the equation to get:
0 = 0.80t + 5.50
Subtract 5.50 from both sides to isolate t:
0.80t = -5.50
Divide both sides by 0.80 to solve for t:
t = -⅕
The width of the cooling tower at the base is approximately -⅕ meters.