Question 941528:  I am having trouble setting up the quadratic equation from this word problem.
 
A missile fired straight up into the air has a height, in meters, given by h=-5t^2+15t, where t is the time, in seconds, the missle has been in the air. By setting up and solving an equation, find the time when the missle hits the ground.
 
after_____seconds 
 
 Found 2 solutions by  nerdybill, josgarithmetic: Answer by nerdybill(7384)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! A missile fired straight up into the air has a height, in meters, given by h=-5t^2+15t, where t is the time, in seconds, the missle has been in the air. By setting up and solving an equation, find the time when the missle hits the ground. 
after_____seconds 
. 
Since"h" is the height, when the missile hits the ground, h should be zero. 
Our equation: 
0 = -5t^2+15t 
factor the right 
0 = (-5t)(t-3) 
t = {0, 3} 
throw out the 0, this represents when the missile was fired. 
Answer: 3 seconds 
 Answer by josgarithmetic(39630)      (Show Source): 
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