Question

A model rocket is launched from ground level. It’s flight path is modeled by the following equation Y= -16t^2+160t where h is the height of the rocket above the ground in feet and t is the time after the launch in seconds. what is the rocket’s maximum height? when did the rocket reach the maximum height?

Answer 1

The rocket's maximum height is 800 feet. It reached its maximum height at 5 seconds after launch.

To solve this problem, we need to find the vertex of the parabola represented by the equation Y= -16t^2+160t. The vertex of a parabola is the point where the parabola changes direction, from increasing to decreasing or vice versa.

The vertex of the parabola is given by the following formula:

(-b/2a, c - b^2/4a)

In this case, the value of b is 160 and the value of a is -16. Plugging these values into the formula, we get the following:

(-160/2(-16), 800 - 160^2/4(-16))

(5, 800)

Therefore, the rocket reached its maximum height at 5 seconds after launch. The maximum height is 800 feet.