The position function (in feet) of an object dropped from the top of a building 500 ft tall as a function of time (in seconds) is s(t) = 500 − 16t2

Question

How long, in seconds, does it take the object to hit the ground? (Round your answer to one decimal place.)

Answer 1

s(t) = 500 -16t^2

it hits ground level when s(t) =0 = 500-16t^2

when t= 500/16 = 10sqr5/4 = about 2.5(2.236) = about 5.6 seconds