Height problem

Question

A baseball is dropped from a stadium seat that is 51 feet above the ground. Its height s in feet after t seconds is given by  s(t)=51−16 t squared . Estimate how long it takes for the baseball to strike the ground.

Answer 1

When the ball strikes the ground, s(t) = 0

 

We need to solve 51 - 16t² = 0

 

51 = 16t²

 

We are only interested in the positive root since time cannot be negative

 

51/16 = t²

 

t = √51/4, which is approximately 1.79 seconds