Math Problem Statement

Paul stands on a roof of a building and throws a ball upwards into the air. The height, in feet, of the ball after t seconds is represented by the function . Paul wants to determine the height of the ball after 3 seconds and after 6 seconds.

Determine whether each statement below is true or false regarding height of the ball after 3 seconds and after 6 seconds. Select True or False for each statement.

Statement

True

False

The height of the ball after 3 seconds is 112 feet.

The height of the ball after 6 seconds is 224 feet.

The value of h(3) represents the height of the ball after 3 seconds.

The value of h(6) has no meaning as the height of the ball cannot be negative.

Solution

In order to determine the truth of these statements, we need to work with the function that describes the height of the ball, h(t)h(t). While the exact function for the height of the ball is not provided here, we can reasonably assume it has a general quadratic form like:

h(t)=16t2+v0t+h0h(t) = -16t^2 + v_0t + h_0

where:

  • tt is the time in seconds,
  • v0v_0 is the initial velocity of the ball,
  • h0h_0 is the initial height of the ball (e.g., the height of the roof),
  • The 16t2-16t^2 term represents the effect of gravity.

Let’s analyze each statement given the context:

  1. The height of the ball after 3 seconds is 112 feet.

    To evaluate this, we would need to plug t=3t = 3 into the height function. Without knowing the exact function, we cannot confirm this directly. However, if after calculating, h(3)=112h(3) = 112, this statement would be true; otherwise, false.

  2. The height of the ball after 6 seconds is 224 feet.

    Similarly, we would need to evaluate h(6)h(6) to see if it equals 224 feet. If the function gives this value at t=6t = 6, then the statement is true. Otherwise, it’s false.

  3. The value of h(3)h(3) represents the height of the ball after 3 seconds.

    This statement is true by the definition of h(t)h(t), which represents the height of the ball at time tt seconds. So h(3)h(3) represents the height after 3 seconds.

  4. The value of h(6)h(6) has no meaning as the height of the ball cannot be negative.

    This statement assumes that h(6)h(6) results in a negative value. If the height at t=6t = 6 seconds is negative, it means the ball has already hit the ground or passed below the initial reference point. Thus, while physically the height cannot be negative, mathematically it still holds meaning in a model like this. The statement is false because negative height values can still indicate that the ball has fallen below the original reference height.

Would you like to explore the exact function and solve it for specific values of tt? Here are five related questions:

  1. What is the exact equation for the height function of the ball?
  2. How would the function change if Paul threw the ball from a different height?
  3. What is the maximum height the ball reaches?
  4. How long does it take for the ball to hit the ground?
  5. How would the function look if the ball was thrown downward instead?

Tip: When analyzing projectile motion, quadratic functions describe the relationship between time and height, with gravity causing a downward acceleration.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Quadratic Functions
Projectile Motion
Algebra

Formulas

h(t) = -16t^2 + v_0t + h_0

Theorems

Quadratic Function Model for Projectile Motion

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12