High School

Jerald jumped from a bungee tower. If the equation that models his height, in feet, is [tex]h = -16t^2 + 729[/tex], where [tex]t[/tex] is the time in seconds, for which interval of time is he less than 104 feet above the ground?

A. [tex]t \ \textgreater \ 6.25[/tex]
B. [tex]-6.25 \ \textless \ t \ \textless \ 6.25[/tex]
C. [tex]t \ \textless \ 6.25[/tex]
D. [tex]0 \leq t \leq 6.25[/tex]

Answer :

Sure! Let's solve the problem step-by-step.

The equation that models Jerald's height in feet as he jumps is given by:
[tex]\[ h = -16t^2 + 729 \][/tex]

We need to determine for which interval of time [tex]\( t \)[/tex], his height is less than 104 feet. Thus, we set up the inequality:
[tex]\[ -16t^2 + 729 < 104 \][/tex]

First, let's simplify the inequality:

1. Subtract 729 from both sides:
[tex]\[-16t^2 < 104 - 729\][/tex]

2. Calculate the right side:
[tex]\[-16t^2 < -625\][/tex]

3. Divide both sides by -16. Remember, dividing or multiplying an inequality by a negative number flips the inequality sign:
[tex]\[t^2 > \frac{625}{16}\][/tex]

4. Find the square root of both sides to solve for [tex]\( t \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ t > \sqrt{\frac{625}{16}} \text{ or } t < -\sqrt{\frac{625}{16}} \][/tex]

Calculate [tex]\( \sqrt{\frac{625}{16}} \)[/tex] which is [tex]\(\frac{25}{4}\)[/tex] or 6.25.

Therefore, [tex]\( t > 6.25 \text{ or } t < -6.25 \)[/tex].

Since time, [tex]\( t \)[/tex], must be non-negative (because it's not possible to go back in time for this context), we only consider the positive interval:

Thus, the interval of time for which Jerald is less than 104 feet above the ground is:
[tex]\[ t > 6.25 \][/tex]

So, the correct answer is [tex]\( t > 6.25 \)[/tex].