Question

The seat on a swing set sits 3 feet off the ground. The chains that are attached to the seat are 74 inches long. Suppose you were to swing: the path of the swing forms a parabola. Interpret the y-value of the vertex, in terms of the context.

1 answer

In the context of a swing set, the y-value of the vertex represents the highest point the swing reaches during its motion. This point is the peak of the swing's path, where the swing momentarily comes to a stop before changing direction. At this point, the swing is at its highest point off the ground before starting to swing back down.