Quadratic functions can be used to describe the rate at which an object will fall and predict when it will land or how high it may go. Create a quadratic function using the function y=−16t2

Question

Quadratic functions can be used to describe the rate at which an object will fall and predict when it will land or how high it may go. Create a quadratic function using the function y=−16t2

to help predict when an object will return to the ground from being kicked, dropped, or thrown. In 3–5 sentences, describe the scenario in which you will use the function. Write the complete function and explain the meaning of the variable t and the constant value.(4 points)

Answer 1

I will use the quadratic function to predict when a ball that is dropped from a height of 50 feet will return to the ground. In this scenario, the variable t represents time in seconds and the constant value -16 represents the acceleration due to gravity (in feet per second squared). The function can be written as y = -16t^2 + 50, where y represents the height of the ball above the ground. When the ball hits the ground, its height will be zero, so we can solve the equation -16t^2 + 50 = 0 to find when it will return to the ground.