SOLUTION: a ball is dropped from a height of 30 feet.each time it strikes the ground, it bounces up to 4/5 of the previous height. how many times does the ball hit the ground before it bounc

Algebra ->  Trigonometry-basics -> SOLUTION: a ball is dropped from a height of 30 feet.each time it strikes the ground, it bounces up to 4/5 of the previous height. how many times does the ball hit the ground before it bounc      Log On


   



Question 1043565: a ball is dropped from a height of 30 feet.each time it strikes the ground, it bounces up to 4/5 of the previous height. how many times does the ball hit the ground before it bounces up less than 6 feet?
Found 2 solutions by ikleyn, MathTherapy:
Answer by ikleyn(52790) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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a ball is dropped from a height of 30 feet.each time it strikes the ground, it bounces up to 4/5 of the previous height.
How many times does the ball hit the ground before it bounces up less than 6 feet?
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# of hit/bounce   height of bouncing
0	          30.00
1	          24.00
2	          19.20
3	          15.36
4	          12.29
5	           9.83
6	           7.86
7	           6.29
8	           5.03
9	           4.03


Geom. progression. h%5B0%5D = 30, common ratio r = 4%2F5.

h%5Bn%5D = 30%2A%284%2F5%29%5En, n = 1, 2, 3, . . . height after n-th bounce.

Your n is 7.

On geometric progressions, read the lesson
    - Geometric progressions
in this site.


Answer by MathTherapy(10552) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
a ball is dropped from a height of 30 feet.each time it strikes the ground, it bounces up to 4/5 of the previous height. how many times does the ball hit the ground before it bounces up less than 6 feet?
This situation depicts a sequence with a%5B1%5D being 30, r being 4%2F5, and a%5Bn%5D being 5 (< 6). 
We then have: a%5Bn%5D+=+a%5B1%5Dr%5En
5+=+30%284%2F5%29%5En
5%2F30+=+%284%2F5%29%5En_____1%2F6+=+%284%2F5%29%5En
log+%284%2F5%2C+%281%2F6%29%29+=+n
log+%281%2F6%29%2Flog%284%2F5%29+=+n
n, or number of bounces = 8.029626932, or highlight_green%28n+=+8%29