Problem

A toy rocket is launched from a
4.2
m high platform in such a way that its height, h (in meters), after t seconds is given by the equation h=4.9t2+28.7t+4.2
How long will it take for the rocket to hit the ground?

Answer

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Answer

6 seconds is the time it will take for the rocket to hit the ground.

Steps

Step 1 :Given the equation for the height of the rocket as h=4.9t2+28.7t+4.2, we need to find the time t when the rocket hits the ground, i.e., when h=0.

Step 2 :This is a quadratic equation in the form at2+bt+c=0, where a=4.9, b=28.7, and c=4.2.

Step 3 :We can solve this equation using the quadratic formula t=b±b24ac2a.

Step 4 :Substituting the values of a, b, and c into the formula, we get two solutions for t.

Step 5 :However, since time cannot be negative, we discard the negative solution and keep the positive one.

Step 6 :6 seconds is the time it will take for the rocket to hit the ground.

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