a heated piece of metal cools according to the function c(x)=(1/4)^x-8 where x is measured in hours. A device is added that aids in cooling according to the function h(x)=-x-3. What will be the temperature of the metal after five hours?

Question

a heated piece of metal cools according to the function c(x)=(1/4)^x-8  where x is measured in hours.  A device is added that aids in cooling according to the function h(x)=-x-3.  What will be the temperature of the metal after five hours?

anonymous · Answer

@perl @freckles can either of you get this answer?

anonymous · Answer

i am going to make a guess that you add them up adn get $$c(x)=\left(\frac{1}{4}\right)^{x-8}-x-3$$ but it is hard to answer without knowing the original temperature
i will make another guess
this is a FLVS question

anonymous · Answer

maybe you just replace $x$ by $5$ and compute 
$$\left(\frac{1}{4}\right)^{5-8}-5-3$$

anonymous · Answer

you will get some negative number, i think some piece of information might be missing
then again with FLVS you never can tell

anonymous · Answer

this is not from FLVS its from a take home test. I go to public school.  Ive found similar questions online it seems like she just changed the numbers.

anonymous · Answer

ok can you compute that?

anonymous · Answer

that is, can you compute 
$$\left(\frac{1}{4}\right)^{5-8}-5-3$$?

anonymous · Answer

I got 56