SOLUTION: While on the golf course last weekend Marc hit into the rough, landing the ball behind a tall tree. To get out of the scenario, his best option was to hit the ball high enough so
Question 1201649: While on the golf course last weekend Marc hit into the rough, landing the ball behind a tall tree. To get out of the scenario, his best option was to hit the ball high enough so it goes over the tree and hopefully comes down in the fairway for his next shot. So with a mighty swing, he hit the ball into the air and was surprised to see it hit near the top of a 300 foot tall tower that he had not noticed.
The formula for this shot is h(x) = -16xsquared + 120x , where h is the height of the ball and x is the number of seconds the ball is in the air.
How could Marc mathematically try to prove that he hit the ball near the top of the tower? Answer by ikleyn(52778) (Show Source):
This "problem" is a mix of absurdist statements.
First, from the given input data, the maximum height of the ball is achieved at
the time moment
= " " = - = = 3.75 seconds,
and the maximum height is
= -16*3.75^2 + 120*3.75 = 225 feet.
It can not be 300 feet, physically.
Second, the given equation describes only vertical movement and does not describe
a normal golf ball regular parabolic trajectory.
So, this "problem" is a result of misunderstanding - nothing else.
