An owl swoops down from its perch in a tree at 20 feet to catch field mice below. It follows the function h=−6t2−24t+20 . Plot points to graph the equation. Which ordered pair represents the vertex?(1 point)

1 answer

To find the vertex of the quadratic function \( h(t) = -6t^2 - 24t + 20 \), we can use the vertex formula for a quadratic function in the standard form \( ax^2 + bx + c \):

The x-coordinate (or in this case, the t-coordinate) of the vertex is given by the formula:

\[ t = -\frac{b}{2a} \]

where \( a = -6 \) and \( b = -24 \).

Substituting these values into the formula:

\[ t = -\frac{-24}{2 \cdot -6} = \frac{24}{-12} = -2 \]

Now, plug \( t = -2 \) back into the function \( h(t) \) to find the height (h-coordinate) of the vertex:

\[ h(-2) = -6(-2)^2 - 24(-2) + 20 \]

Calculating this:

\[ h(-2) = -6(4) + 48 + 20 \] \[ h(-2) = -24 + 48 + 20 \] \[ h(-2) = 24 \]

Thus, the vertex of the quadratic function is at the point:

\[ (-2, 24) \]

So, the ordered pair that represents the vertex is \((-2, 24)\).