A ball falls from 20m in the air, and with each successive bounce, rises 40% of its original height. Find its total vertical distance travelled after six bounces.(Geometric Sequences, by the way).

Question

homeworksucks · Answer

Anyone?

anonymous · Answer

after six bounces?
$$20 = bounce 1$$
$$( 20 * .4 ) = bounce 2$$
$$( 20 * .4^2 ) = bounce 3$$
get the pattern?

anonymous · Answer

just calculate each one independently and add them up.

anonymous · Answer

It bounces higher than where it left off? That's impossible!!

anonymous · Answer

you're finding the total lateral distance, and multiplying it by .4, not 4.

/)?

anonymous · Answer

$$20 +  ( 20 * .4 ) + ( 20 * .4^2) + (20 * .4^3 ) + (20 * .4^4) + (20*.4^5) = 72.992$$
so your total lateral distance is 72.992 meters if I didn't mess up on my calculator.

anonymous · Answer

@RyanL. y u no /) back?

homeworksucks · Answer

That's weird, the back-of-the-book gave me 42.64 m...

anonymous · Answer

maybe it doesn't count the initial fall as a bounce. I'll run the math, 1 sec

anonymous · Answer

that's really weird, I'm not coming up with your answer; maybe someone else should answer this one.

homeworksucks · Answer

Thanks anyway! I'll probably check in with my teacher about this one.