Question

Problem 4. A photograph shows that, 0.5 seconds after a basketball left a player’s hands, it was 5 feet above the ground. Another photograph shows that, 1.5 seconds after the basketball left the player’s hands, it was 9 feet above the ground. A third photograph shows that, 3 seconds after the basketball left the player’s hands, it was 2 feet above the ground. (a) Find a quadratic interpolant for the relationship between the time after the basketball left the player’s hands, in seconds, and the height of the basketball above the ground, in feet, using the method of Chapter 2 of the data fitting notes. (b) How many seconds after the basketball left the basketball player’s hands did the basketball reach its maximum height, according to your model? See the hint in Exercise 1(e) of in-class activity E if you don’t know how to do this. (c) What was the basketball’s maximum height, according to your model?

Answer 1