A rubber ball is dropped from a height of 5 m onto a flat surface. Each time the ball hits the surface, it rebounds to 50% of its previous height. Find the total distance the ball travels.
A) 15
B) 20
C) 10
D) 5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ball travels 5 m down, then 2.5 m up, then 1.25 m down, then 0.625 m up, and so on. The total distance traveled is the sum of these distances, which is 5 + 2.5 + 1.25 + 0.625 + ... = 5 + 2.5(1 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + ...) = 5 + 2.5(2) = 10 m.

A Rubber Ball Is Dropped from a Height of 5