A crow is flying and carrying a walnut at a height of 25 feet. The crow is ready to drop the walnut to the ground, but a second crow lands directly below him.
For the flying crow to be able to dive to the broken walnut before the second crow
can steal it, the walnut must hit the ground before the second crow can fly to its
landing spot. At the same time, the walnut must fall far enough to break when it
lands.
The flying crow identifies several different drop spots. There is a 9-foot tall shed
with a flat roof which is 15 feet to the right of the second crow. A balcony that is
16 feet high sits 20 feet in front of the second crow. Finally, a flat garage roof that
is 21 feet high sits 20 feet behind the second crow. The diagram illustrates the
view of the flying crow.

a. Using the equation in your model, how long will it take the walnut to hit the
roof of each structure?

b. The following diagrams can be used to determine how far the second crow
must fly to reach the top of each structure.

Label each triangle with the correct distances. Calculate how far the second
crow must fly to reach the top of each structure by using the Pythagorean
Theorem, which says 22 2 ab c + = .

c. If none of these structures will allow the flying crow to break the walnut
without it being stolen, the crow must fly away to another location. Given that
the average crow can take off from a standing position at a speed of 19 feet per
second, what should the flying crow do? Explain your answer.