Step 1 :Given the equation for the height of the rocket as \(h=-4.9 t^{2}+28.7 t+4.2\), 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 \(at^2 + bt + c = 0\), where \(a = -4.9\), \(b = 28.7\), and \(c = 4.2\).
Step 3 :We can solve this equation using the quadratic formula \(t = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}\).
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 :\(\boxed{6}\) seconds is the time it will take for the rocket to hit the ground.