Final answer:
To calculate the velocity of the falling wrench after 3 seconds, the first derivative of the position function s(t) is taken to get v(t) = -32t. By substituting t with 3, the velocity at three seconds is -96 feet per second.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find how fast the wrench will be falling after 3 seconds, we need to calculate the first derivative of the position function s(t) to get the velocity function v(t). The position function given is s(t) = −16t² + 800. Differentiating this with respect to t gives v(t) = d/dt (-16t² + 800) = -32t.
To find the velocity after 3 seconds, we substitute t = 3 into the velocity equation, which gives v(3) = -32(3) = -96 feet per second.
Therefore, the wrench will be falling at a velocity of -96 feet per second after 3 seconds.