Question

17. A golfer takes a swing from a hill twenty feet above the cup

with an initial upwards velocity of 32 feet per second. How
long does it take the ball to land on the ground near the cup?

Answer 1

The height as a function of time is

h(t) = -(1/2)gt2 + v0t + h0

h(t) = -16t2 + 32t + 20

The ball reaches the ground when h(t) = 0

-16t2 + 32t + 20 = 0

Solve this quadratic equation for t. You will get a positive solution and a negative solution. Discard the negative solution, since time begins at t=0 at the moment the ball is struck. Can you finish from here?