Blogging Prompt: Quadratic Functions

Use your graphing calculator (or an online tool; x² is written as x^2 and do not include the "y=".) to graph these three functions (y is the height and x represents time):

• The height of an arrow is given by: y = -16x² + 112x + 0
• The height of a baseball is given by: y = -16x² + 64x + 0
• The height of a football is given by: y = -16x² + 64x + 75

Blog a brief paragraph identifying ways in which these three functions are similar. Blog a second paragraph outlining the ways in which they are different and what causes these differences.

This sort of compare and contrast exercise can be made easier to do using Venn Diagrams. Draw three large overlapping circles. List the similarities in the appropriate overlapping sections and the differences in the non-overlapping sections. If you like, you can use this web tool to do it online. If you do blog about this prompt and want to post your diagram and don't know how to post pictures, ask in class. ;-)
Note:  This blogging prompt was copied from Darren Kuroptawa's Pre-Calculus 30S blog.