Chapter 8.2, Problem 31E

You throw a bail straight up from a rooftop. The ball misses the rooftop on its way down and eventually strikes the ground. A mathematical model can be used to describe the relationship for the ball's height above the ground, y. after x seconds. Consider the following data:

x, seconds after the ball is thrown y, ball's height. in Teel, above the ground

1 224

3 176

4 104

a. Find the quadratic function $y=a{x}^2+bx+c$ whose graph passes through the given points.

b. Use the function in part (a) to find the value for y when $x=5$

Describe what this means.