The height of a diver above the water, is given by h(t)=-5t2+10t+3, where t is time measured in seconds and h(t) is measured in meters. Select all statements that are true about the situation.

Question

a. The diver begins 5 meters above the water.

b. he diver begins 3 meters above the water.

c. The function has 1 zero that makes sense in this situation.

d. The function has 2 zeros that make sense in this situation.

e. The graph that represents h starts at the origin and curves upward.

f. The diver begins at the same height as the water level.

Answer 1

Let us look at these one by one.

(a) FALSE. The diver begins 3 meters above the water.

(b) TRUE. See explanation for (a).

(c) TRUE. The zeros are the times it takes to reach the water. One zero will be positive and correct. The other zero will be negative, but will not make sense, since we start counting time at t = 0.

(d) FALSE. See explanation for (c).

(e) FALSE. The graph starts at (0,3), curves upward initially, and then turns downward.

(f) FALSE. See explanation for (a).