What is the maximum height of the ball in feet is the question?

Question

The height y (in feet) of a ball thrown by a child is y = - 1/16 * x ^ 2 + 4x + 3 where the horizontal distance in feet from the point at which the ball is thrown.

Answer 1

Hello Amanda,

You need to find the vertex (h,k) of this quadratic equation, and k will give you the maximum height of the ball.

h = -b/2a = -4/(-2/16) = -4/(-1/8) = -4 * (8/-1) = 32

To find k, plug h back in the original equation: k = - 1/16 * (32)² + 4(32) + 3 = -64 + 128 + 3

All you have to do is add finish where I left off and the answer you get for k will be the maximum height of the ball in feet. You got this.

Cheers!