Question

Use the image to answer the question.

The support beam of an underwater tunnel is shown. At point A, the height of the support beam is 1.2 meters. At point B, the height of the support beam is 7.8 meters. At point C, the height of the support beam is 1.2 meters.

An underwater tunnel with a parabolic support beam labeled from left to right, A where the support beam is attached to the ground, B in the center of the support beam, and C where the support beam is attached to the ground.

What type of function could be used to model the height of the support beam as a function of distance?

(1 point)

linear function

quadratic function

exponential growth function

exponential decay function

Answer 1

Quadratic function.

The beam is parabolic (symmetric with a single maximum at the center), so its height is modeled by a quadratic.