Math Influences Essay

Name:___________________________

Math 56
Worksheet 7
October 10

1. The Reduced-Gravity Program operated by NASA provides astronauts with the unique “weightless” or “zero-g” environment of space flight for tests and training.   The program uses a specifically modified KC-1 35A turbojet transport that flies on a parabolic path along the data given in the table.

|Time (Seconds)                                     |10     |20     |32         |45     |60     |
|Altitude (thousands of feet)                       |26     |31     |32.5       |31     |25     |

a) Find an equation for a model of these data.   Be sure to use methods from class, which include designating variables and showing work.

b) Using your model, find the altitude of the plane after 25 seconds.

c) Give a reasonable domain and range for your model.

d) According to your model, when would the plane’s altitude be 10,000 feet?

e) What is the vertex of your model, and what is its meaning in the context of this problem?

2. A national park visitor left a trail near the top of a waterfall to get a better look at the falls.   Against the complaints of her companions, she started tossing rocks over the edge onto the trail at the bottom of the falls, 92 feet below.

The following table gives the height of the rock above the path at the bass of the falls for the first 0.80 seconds of its flight.

|Time after rock is thrown in seconds                             |0.00                                                 |
|0.00                                                             |                                                     |
|0.50                                                             |                                                     |
|1.00                                                             |                                                     |
|1.50                                                             |                                                     |...