Question 198727
A pelican flying in the air over water drops a crab from a height of 30 feet. The distance the crab is from the water as it falls can be represented by the function h(t)= -16t^2 + 30, where t is time in seconds. To catch the crab as it falls, a gull flies along a path represented by the function g(t)= -8t + 15. Can the gull catch the crab before the crab hits the water? 
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There should be additional specs for this problem, but a simplification is to see if the 2 functions intersect.
No horizontal info is given, so solve to see if and when 
-16t^2 + 30 = -8t + 15
-8t^2 + 15 = 0
8t^2 = 15
t^2 = 15/8
The paths intersect (vertically) at t = sqrt(30)/4 seconds
t = ~ 1.369 seconds from the release of the crab
at a height of 0 feet, at the surface of the water.
The crab and the gull meet the water at the same time, not before.