Question

Jamaal bounces on a trampoline. His height, as a function of time, is modeled by = -16x^2+20x+4.

Which statement best describes the function?

Answer 1

B. The function is nonlinear.

Explanation:

A linear function graphs as a straight line. It is a polynomial function of degree 1. Any function that is not a linear function is a nonlinear function.

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degree

The function given is a polynomial function of degree 2. (Its highest-degree term is x^2, which has an exponent of 2.)

categorization

Since the degree is not 1, the function is nonlinear.

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Additional comment

A polynomial function will never be "linear at some points and nonlinear at other points." Such a description might apply to a piecewise-defined function.