Question 630440:  A person standing close to the edge on top of a 192-foot building throws a baseball vertically upward. The quadratic function s(t)=-16t2+64t+192 models the balls’ height above the ground, s(t() in feet, t seconds after it was thrown. After how many seconds does the ball reach its maximum height? Round to the nearest tenth of a second if necessary. 
 Answer by nerdybill(7384)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! A person standing close to the edge on top of a 192-foot building throws a baseball vertically upward. The quadratic function s(t)=-16t2+64t+192 models the balls’ height above the ground, s(t() in feet, t seconds after it was thrown. After how many seconds does the ball reach its maximum height? Round to the nearest tenth of a second if necessary. 
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Since: 
s(t)=-16t2+64t+192 
is a polynomial of degree 2, we know it is a parabola.  We also know that it opens downward (based on the negative coefficient associated with the x^2 term).  The vertex must then represent the maximum. 
"axis of symmetry" represents the max time of vertex: 
t = -b/(2a) 
t = -64/(2(-32)) 
t = -64/(-64) 
t = 1.0 seconds
 
 
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