If an object is dropped from a height of 200 feet, the function h of t equals negative 16t squared plus 200 gives the height of the object after t seconds. Approximately, when will the object hit the ground?
A. 200.00 seconds
B. 184.00 seconds
C. 3.54 seconds
D. 0.78 seconds
The object will hit the ground when its height is 0. So we need to solve the equation:
-16t^2 + 200 = 0
Dividing both sides by -16, we get:
t^2 - 12.5 = 0
Taking the square root of both sides, we get:
t = ±√12.5
Since time cannot be negative, we only consider the positive root:
t ≈ 3.54 seconds
So the answer is C. 3.54 seconds.