In a Punkin’ Chunkin’ contest, the height (in feet)
of shots from one pumpkin cannon is given by the 
function h(t) = -16(t - 5)2 + 425. The height is 
in feet above the ground and the time is in seconds 
after the pumpkin leaves the cannon. Show how to 
use this function to answer questions about the 
height of the flying pumpkin.
a. At what height is the pumpkin released from 
the “chunker”?
b. At what time will the pumpkin hit the ground?
c. At what time does the pumpkin reach its 
maximum height and what is that height?



Answer :

a. At t=0, the pumpkin is 25 feet above the ground (Plug 0 into the equation and solve)

b. If you plug the equation in a graphing calculator and find the rightmost zero, you get t = 10.15 seconds.

c. The vertex (maximum point) of the graph is (5, 425). Therefore, the pumpkin reaches its maximum height of 425 feet after 5 seconds in the air.


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