While standing on a ladder, you drop a paintbrush. The function represents the height y (in feet) of the paintbrush t seconds after it is dropped.

Question

While standing on a ladder, you drop a paintbrush. The function represents the height y (in feet) of the paintbrush t seconds after it is dropped. After how many seconds does the paintbrush land on the ground?

Answer 1

y = -16t^2 +h where h= initial height of the ladder

0 = -16t^2 + h

t^2 = h/16

t = (1/4)sqrh = time in seconds when the paint brush hits the ground

If the ladder is 4 feet high, the paint brush hits the ground in half a second