Question

In a real-life situation, to model the distance x and the height of hitting a baseball y as in: y = ax^2 + bx + c

1. When dealing with the initial height of the ball, what is happening when x = 0?
Is it that the ball has not yet traveled any distance?

2. What are the possible values for y when x = 0?
I know only the constant term would be left. So would I be correct in saying "the constant term" or how do I better say it?

3. Regarding the maximum height of the ball: knowing some values of y are not reasonable, how does that affect choosing a window for the graph?

Answer 1

When x = 0, the ball is leaving the bat
y then is c, the initial height. That is the only possible value for y
As far as question 3, I would choose a horizontal range domain maybe ten times as long as the max height I expected.