The function h(t) = -16t^2 + 16t represents the height (in feet) of a horse (t) seconds after it jumps during a steeplechase.a. When does the horse reach its max height?b. Can the horse clear a fence that is 3.5 feet tall?c. How long is the horse in the air?

a.) To find the maximum height, we can take the derivative of h(t). This will give us the rate at which the horse jumps (velocity) at time t.

h'(t) = -32t + 16

When the horse reaches its maximum height, its position on h(t) will be at the top of the parabola. The slope at this point will be zero because the line tangent to the peak of a parabola is a horizontal line. By setting h'(t) equal to 0, we can find the critical numbers which will be the maximum and minimum t values.

-32t + 16 = 0

-32t = -16

t = 0.5 seconds

b.) To find out if the horse can clear a fence that is 3.5 feet tall, we can plug 0.5 in for t in h(t) and solve for the maximum height.

h(0.5) = -16(0.5)^2 + 16(-0.5) = 4 feet

If 4 is the maximum height the horse can jump, then yes, it can clear a 3.5 foot tall fence.

c.) We know that the horse is in the air whenever h(t) is greater than 0. 

-16t^2 + 16t = 0

-16t(t-1)=0

t = 0 and 1

So if the horse is on the ground at t = 0 and t = 1, then we know it was in the air for 1 second.