Factoring problem

Question

Suppose a football is kicked from the ground and its height, h, in feet above the ground is given by h = -3.9t² + 15.6t

The time, t, represents the number of seconds after the ball is kicked. At what time does the football hit the ground?

I have to use factoring and getting a GCF

Answer 1

Hi Lolita A.

While it is obvious that t is common to both terms, you could also look for a relationship between the coefficients.

h = -3.9t² + 15.6t

You have a quadratic equation f(x) = ax² + bx + c where

a = -3.9

b = 15.6

and c= 0

Look for a relationship between a and b in your search for a GCF.

Give that a try.