An object is dropped from a bridge and allowed to freefall to the ground. The height of the object over time can be modeled using h of t is equal to 144 minus 16 t squared How many seconds will it take the object to reach the ground?

The object reaches the ground when its height is 0. Set the model equal to 0: 144 − 16t² = 0, so t² = 9 and t = 3 or −3; since time cannot be negative, it takes 3 seconds. The correct choice is “3 seconds.”

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