Q:

An object is dropped from a bridge and allowed to freefall to the ground. The height of the object over time can be modeled using h(t) = 144 – 16t2. How many seconds will it take the object to reach the ground? second(s)

Accepted Solution

A:
Answer:t = 3 seconds Step-by-step explanation:We have the equation, as a function of time, that describes the height of the object that is dropped from the bridge. The equation is: [tex]h (t) = 144 - 16t ^ 2[/tex]Where t is the time in seconds and h is the height in feet. To know how long it takes the object to fall to the ground we do h (t) = 0 and solve for t. So: [tex]0 = 144 - 16t ^ 2\\\\16t ^ 2 = 144\\\\t ^ 2 = \frac{144}{16}\\\\t ^ 2 = 9\\\\t_1 = 3\\t_2 = -3[/tex]We take the positive solution. Therefore the object takes 3 seconds to reach the ground