During halftime of a football game, a sling shot launches T-shirts at the crowd. A T-shirt is launched from a height of 5 fee
t with an initial upward velocity of 64 feet per second. The T-shirt is caught 37 feet above the field. How long will it take the T-shirt to reach its maximum height? What is the maximum height? What is the range of the function that models the height of the T-shirt over time?
It takes 2 seconds to reach a maximum height of 69 feet, and the range is [5, 69].
The equation is of the form h(t) = -16t² + v₀t + h₀, where -16 is the gravitational constant, v₀ is the initial velocity, and h₀ is the initial height. Using the values from our problem, we have:
h(t) = -16t² + 64t + 5
To find the maximum height, we find the vertex. The first step in this is to find the axis of symmetry, which is given by -b/2a:
-64/2(-16) = -64/-32 = 2
This is our value for t, so it takes 2 seconds to reach the maximum. Substituting this into our function, we have h(2) = -16(2²) + 64(2) + 5 = -64 + 128 + 5 = 64 + 5 = 69
This is the maximum height.
The range of heights goes from 5 to 69, inclusive, or [5, 69].
