To begin a football game, a kicker has to kick off. The football follows the path h(x)=−130x(x−61)

, where h(x)
is the height of the football and x is the horizontal distance it has traveled in yards. Solve the equation to determine how far the ball will have traveled when it hits the ground.

0=−130x(x−61)


(1 point)
The ball will have traveled
yards before hitting the ground.
Remaining Attempts : 3

1 answer

To determine how far the ball will have traveled when it hits the ground, we need to solve the equation:

\[ 0 = -130x(x - 61) \]

We can set this equation to zero by factoring. The equation is already factored as \( -130x(x - 61) \). Setting each factor equal to zero gives us two equations to solve:

  1. \( -130x = 0 \)
  2. \( x - 61 = 0 \)

Solving the first equation:

\[ -130x = 0 \implies x = 0 \]

Solving the second equation:

\[ x - 61 = 0 \implies x = 61 \]

The possible solutions for \( x \) are \( 0 \) and \( 61 \).

The solution \( x = 0 \) corresponds to the starting point of the kick. The solution \( x = 61 \) represents the horizontal distance the ball has traveled when it hits the ground.

Thus, the ball will have traveled 61 yards before hitting the ground.