Problema Solution

Former MLB pitcher Nolan Ryan was once recorded throwing a fastball at 100.9 mph (148 ft/s). If Nolan Ryan were to throw this high-speed pitch straight up from an initial height of 7.8 ft, how long would it remain in the air, ignoring air resistance? Use the formula , where h is the height of the ball in feet and t is the time in seconds since it is pitched. Round your answer to the nearest tenth

Answer provided by our tutors

We will solve assuming the formula is:

 h(t)=-14t^2+148t+7.8, where h is the height of the ball in feet and t is the time in seconds since it is pitched

We need to find t, t > 0, such that h(t) = 0

-14t^2+148t+7.8 = 0

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click here to see the quadratic equation solved for t

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t = 10.6 s

The ball will stay in the air for 10.6 seconds.