Quadratic Application Algebra 2

Question

Carmine drops a ball at shoulder height from the top of a building (building is 35 feet tall, Carmine is 5 feet tall). If the ball is at rest, and is simply dropped, how long will it take, to the nearest tenth of a second, to hit the ground?

Answer 1

For applications of free fall, we can use the kinematic equation of motion:

h(t) = -16t² for "t" in seconds and "h" in feet

h = 35 + 5 = 40 but it is 40 feet below the drop location so h = -40

-40 = -16t²

t² = 5/2

t = √(5/2) = √5/√2 = √10/2 seconds or approx 1.6 seconds