Answer:
It sounds like you want to use the equation h = "-5" - 2 t + 36 to calculate how many seconds it will take for a coin to fall from a balcony to a fountain below. The only problem is that the equation you provided is not correct. The correct equation for the height of an object in free fall is h = -16t^2 + vt + h0, where t is the time in seconds, h0 is the initial height of the object, and v is the initial velocity of the object.
To solve for the time it will take for the coin to fall to a height of 12 feet, you need to know the initial height of the balcony and the initial velocity of the coin. Assuming the initial height of the balcony is 36 feet and the initial velocity of the coin is 0 (since it is not moving when it is released), you can plug these values into the equation to solve for t:
h = -16t^2 + 0 + 36
12 = -16t^2 + 36
-24 = -16t^2
t^2 = 1.5
t = sqrt(1.5)
t = approximately 1.22 seconds
So it will take approximately 1.22 seconds for the coin to fall from the balcony to a height of 12 feet.