The path of a football kicked by a field goal kicker can be modeled by the equation y = –0.03x2 + 1.53x, where x is the horizontal distance in yards and y is the corresponding height in yards.

Q1: What is the football’s maximum height? Round to the nearest tenth.

Q2: How far is the football kicked?

Question

The path of a football kicked by a field goal kicker can be modeled by the equation y = –0.03x2 + 1.53x, where x is the horizontal distance in yards and y is the corresponding height in yards.

Q1: What is the football’s maximum height? Round to the nearest tenth. 

Q2: How far is the football kicked?

anonymous · Answer

If you have a quadratic function in the form $y=ax^2+bx+c$ the maximum is at $x=-\frac{b}{2a}$. Can you tell what your a and b are?

anonymous · Answer

i believe a= -.03 and b=1.53 . but for some reason every time i answer the question it marks it wrong

anonymous · Answer

yes those are right, but -b/(2a) isn't the height. You have to plug what you got for that into the original formula and the y-value you get is the max height

anonymous · Answer

so you should get $x=-\frac{1.53}{2(-0.03)}=25.5$. 
Then plug in 25.5 for x in the original

anonymous · Answer

oh ok the answer is 19.5 c:

anonymous · Answer

yes.

anonymous · Answer

For the second question, set y = 0 and solve for x. This one factors
$–0.03x^2 + 1.53x=0$