The front of a roller-coaster car is at the bottom of a hill and is 15 feet above the ground.

Question

The front of a roller-coaster car is at the bottom of a hill and is 15 feet above the ground. If the front of the roller-coaster car rises at a constant rate of 8 feet per second, which of the following equations gives the height h, in feet, of the front of the roller-coaster car s seconds after it starts up the hill?

A.

$h equals, 8 s, plus 15$

B.

$h equals, 15 s, plus the fraction 335 over 8$

C.

$h equals, 8 s, plus the fraction 335 over 15$

D.

$h equals, 15 s, plus 8$

Accepted Answer

Choice A is correct. It&rsquo;s given that the front of the roller-coaster car starts rising when it&rsquo;s 15 feet above the ground. This initial height of 15 feet can be represented by a constant term, 15, in an equation. Each second, the front of the roller-coaster car rises 8 feet, which can be represented by 8 s . Thus, the equation gives the height, in feet, of the front of the roller-coaster car s seconds after it starts up the hill. Choices B and C are incorrect and may result from conceptual errors in creating a linear equation. Choice D is incorrect and may result from switching the rate at which the roller-coaster car rises with its initial height.

Question the-fr