A tennis ball is dropped from a height of 15 feet and bounces.Each bounce is $\frac{1}{2}$ the height of the bounce before.A superball has a bounce $\frac{3}{4}$ the height of the bounce before, and is dropped from a height of 5 feet.Which ball bounces a greater total vertical distance?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tennis ball bounces a greater total vertical distance because it starts from a higher point and its bounce height decreases by a factor of $\frac{1}{2}$ each time, leading to a geometric series that sums to a greater total distance than the superball, which starts from a lower height and decreases by a factor of $\frac{3}{4}$.

A Tennis Ball Is Dropped from a Height of 15 12\frac{1}{2}21​

A Tennis Ball Is Dropped from a Height of 15 $\frac{1}{2}$