(a) Setting v(t)=0, we find 500−32t=0, and thus t=32500=8125=15.625. This is the time that the rocket's velocity changes from positive to negative, and thus the point when the rocket's position changes from increasing to decreasing: it's when the rocket reaches its maximum height.
(b) Since v is a positive linear function that connects the points (0,500) and (15.625,0) on the interval [0,15.625], the region enclosed by the velocity function and the t-axis is a right triangle with vertical leg of length 500 and horizontal leg of length 15.625. The area of this triangle is A=21bh=21(15.625)(500)=3906.25. Because this is the area under the velocity curve (where velocity is positive) this area represents the vertical distance traveled by the rocket on the time interval [0,15.625].
(c) One function that has derivative v(t)=s′(t)=500−32t is s(t)=500t−16t2.
(d) Using our result in (c), s(15.625)−s(0)=500(15.625)−16(15.625)2−(0−0)=3906.25. Thus, the change of the rocket's position on [0,15.625] is 3906.25 feet, which is also the distance the rocket traveled vertically on the time interval, since velocity is positive throughout.
(e) We find that s(5)−s(1)=1616, which tells us that the rocket rose 1616 feet on the 4-second interval from t=1 to t=5.