Question

At a basketball game, members of the Spirit Club use a t-shirt cannon to launch team t-shirts to spectators in the stands. The equation below describes the height, h, of the t-shirt, t seconds after it is shot from the cannon c feet above the ground, at an initial velocity of v. h = -16t 2 + vt + c Solve the equation for initial velocity, v. The cannon launched a t-shirt from an initial height of 5 feet. After 3 seconds the shirt has reached a height of 131 feet. Use your equation from #1 to find the initial velocity of the t-shirt. Show your work. What does the equation from #1 tell you about the value of the velocity, v, when t = 0? Explain.

Answer 1

  h(t) = -16t^2 + vt + 5   h(3) = 131 ft   h(3) = -16(3)^2 + 3v + 5 = 131   3v = 270   v = 90 ft/s