MPM2DB

Quadratic Applications

1. The following graph represents the flight of a basketball.

a) From what height is the basketball being thrown?

b) What is the maximum height of the ball? How long did it take for
the ball to reach this height?

c) How long was the ball in the air?

2. The following graph represents the path of a flare.

a) State the vertex of the parabola. What does it mean in context
of the problem?

b) State the x-intercept(s). What do they mean in context of the

problem?

c) State the y-intercept. What does it mean in context of the

problem?

d) When is the flare 50 m above the ground?

3. When a football is kicked, its height, h in metres, after t seconds is given by the equation
2 2
ℎ(𝑡) =− 5𝑡 + 20𝑡 ℎ(𝑡) =− 5(𝑡 − 2) + 20 ℎ(𝑡) =− 5𝑡(𝑡 − 4).

a) Without using the GDC, draw a sketch of the graph. Include

values for the key points.

b) How high was the ball when it was kicked?

c) How long was the ball in the air?

d) How long after it is kicked is the football at a height of 15 m? Substitute in the times to show that
this is true.
4. Three, two, one fire.... A stopwatch is started when a model rocket lifts off. The equation that
2
models the flight path of the rocket is ℎ(𝑡) =− 5𝑡 + 30𝑡 + 35 where t is the time in seconds and h
2
is the height in metres. ℎ(𝑡) =− 5(𝑡 − 3) + 80, ℎ(𝑡) =− 5(𝑡 − 7)(𝑡 + 1)
a) Without using the GDC, draw a sketch of the graph. Include values for the key points.

b) How high is the rocket at blast off?

c) How long is the rocket in the air?

d) How long does it take to reach its maximum height?

e) What is the rockets maximum height?

f) When is the rocket 75m high?

5. The table below represents the height of a soccer ball being kicked during a game.
a) Complete the table of values.

b) What is the maximum height of the ball?

c) How long was the ball in the air?

𝑡 (seconds) ℎ (metres)
0 0
1 4.5
2 8
3 10.5
4
5 12.5
6 12
7 10.5