Answer: y=25
Explanation:
The keyword in the question is "maximum", this tells you that you are looking for the vertex,(turning point of the graph, the highest point of the of the parabola). Since they are asking for the maximum height, and "t" represents seconds, you must find the "y" value.
Standard quadratic form is:
ax^2+bx+c
Use the vertex formula:
x=-b/2a
to find the "x" value of the vertex, then plug that value into the original equation as a substitute for "x".
Given y= 40t-16t^2
a=16, b=40
x=-40/2(-16)
x= 5/4 (or 1.25)
So,
y= 40(1.25) - 16(1.25)^2
y = 25