To determine how far the ball will have traveled when it hits the ground, we need to solve the equation \( h(x) = 0 \), which means setting the height function to zero:
\[ 0 = -\frac{1}{30} x(x - 61) \]
To solve this, we can first simplify the equation. Since the function is multiplied by \(-\frac{1}{30}\), we can multiply both sides by \(-30\) (which will not change the equality) to eliminate the fraction:
\[ 0 = x(x - 61) \]
Next, we can factor this equation:
\[ 0 = x(x - 61) \]
Setting each factor equal to zero gives us:
- \( x = 0 \)
- \( x - 61 = 0 \) \(\Rightarrow x = 61\)
So, the solutions to the equation are \( x = 0 \) and \( x = 61 \).
The value \( x = 0 \) represents the point where the football is kicked (the starting point). The value \( x = 61 \) represents the horizontal distance traveled when the football hits the ground.
Thus, the ball will have traveled 61 yards before hitting the ground.