Final answer:
The equation f(x) = -16x² + 200 represents the height of John's toy at t seconds. It is a quadratic equation that gives the toy's height at different times. To find the height at a specific time, substitute that time into the equation and solve.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation f(x) = -16x² + 200 represents the height in feet of John's toy at t seconds after he dropped it from a bridge. The coefficient -16 tells us that the toy is accelerating downwards due to gravity. The constant term 200 represents the initial height of the toy when t = 0.
To find the height of the toy at a specific time, substitute that time into the equation and solve for f(x). For example, if we want to find the height at t = 5 seconds, we plug in 5 for x in the equation: f(5) = -16(5)² + 200 = 40 feet.