Worked example Emily throws a stone off a bridge into a river below.
The stone’s height, h, (in metres above the water), t seconds after Emily threw it, is given by the equation: h(t) = − 5 t2
+ 10t + 15
(i) Draw a graph of the function for the fi rst 3 ⋅ 5 seconds of the motion (using intervals of 0 ⋅ 5 seconds)
(ii) What is the height of the stone at the time it is thrown? (iii) What is the greatest height the stone reaches? (iv) Estimate the height of the stone after 1 ⋅ 4 seconds. (v) How long did it take for the stone to hit the water?
Solution (i)
By the end of this section you should be able to: ● solve problems involving quadratic functions