Question

A ball was thrown upward into the air. The height, in feet, of the ball t seconds after it's thrown can be determined by the following expression: -16t2 + 40t + 3
What is the meaning of the 3 in the expression?

A.
The ball took 3 seconds to reach its maximum height.

B.
The ball reached a maximum height of 3 feet.

C.
The ball took 3 seconds to reach the ground.

D.
The ball was thrown from an initial height of 3 feet.

Answer 1

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Answer:

  D.  The ball was thrown from an initial height of 3 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The generic form of the equation for (vertical) ballistic motion is ...

  $h(t)=-\dfrac{1}{2}gt^2+v_0t+h_0$

where g is the acceleration due to gravity, usually approximated as 32 ft/s², v₀ is the initial upward velocity, and h₀ is the initial height.

The given equation matches the situation where the object was launched vertically at the rate of 40 ft/s from a height of 3 ft.

The 3 represents an initial height of 3 feet.