The square root property

Question

The function s(t) = 16t² models the distance, s(t), in feet, that an object falls in t seconds. Use this function and the square root property to solve the given problem. Express answers in simplified radical form. Then use a calculator to find a decimal approximation. A sky diver jumps from an airplane and falls 2592 feet before opening a parachute. For how many seconds was the diver in a free fall?

Answer 1

16 t ^2 = 2593

^t2 = 2592/16 =162.0625

t = 12.73 second

Answer 2

-16t^2 =-2593

t^2 = 2592/16 =162.0625

t=about 12.73 seconds free fall