A golfer hits a golf ball toward the hole 55 yards away. The ball follows a parabolic path given by the function h(x)=−125x(x−45)

, where h(x)
is the height of the golf ball and x is the horizontal distance it has traveled. Solve the equation to determine how far the ball will have traveled when it hits the ground. How far will the ball need to roll to make it to the hole?

0=−125x(x−45)


(1 point)
Responses

The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 45 yards. It will need to roll an additional 10 yards to reach the hole.
The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 45 yards. It will need to roll an additional 10 yards to reach the hole.

The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 30 yards. It will need to roll an additional 25 yards to reach the hole.
The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 30 yards. It will need to roll an additional 25 yards to reach the hole.

The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 25 yards. It will need to roll an additional 30 yards to reach the hole.
The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 25 yards. It will need to roll an additional 30 yards to reach the hole.

The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 10 yards. It will need to roll an additional 45 yards to reach the hole.
The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 10 yards. It will need to roll an additional 45 yards to reach the hole.

1 answer

To determine how far the golf ball will travel before it hits the ground, we need to solve the equation:

\[ 0 = -125x(x - 45) \]

This equation can be factored as follows:

  1. Set the equation to zero: \[ -125x(x - 45) = 0 \]

  2. This gives us two solutions:

    • \( x = 0 \) (when the ball is at the starting point)
    • \( x = 45 \) (the other factor)

Thus, the ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 45 yards.

Next, we need to calculate how far the ball will need to roll to reach the hole, which is 55 yards away. The distance the ball will need to roll is:

\[ \text{Distance to the hole} - \text{Distance the ball travels} = 55 \text{ yards} - 45 \text{ yards} = 10 \text{ yards} \]

Therefore, the correct response is:

The ball will hit the ground after it has traveled 45 yards. It will need to roll an additional 10 yards to reach the hole.