A sculptor creates an arch in the shape of a parabola. When sketched onto a coordinate grid, the function f(x) = –2(x)(x – 8) represents the height of the arch, in inches, as a function of the distance from the left side of the arch, x. What is the height of the arch, measured 3 inches from the left side of the arch?

14 inches
15 inches
28 inches
30 inches

1 answer

To find the height of the arch at x = 3, we plug x = 3 into the function f(x) = -2(x)(x-8):

f(3) = -2(3)(3-8)
f(3) = -2(3)(-5)
f(3) = 30 inches

Therefore, the height of the arch, measured 3 inches from the left side of the arch, is 30 inches.

The answer is 30 inches.