To calculate the average rate of change in the dolphin's position, we need to determine its overall change in position and the time it took.
- Initial Position: The dolphin's highest point is 3.5 meters above the water. We can represent this as +3.5 meters.
- Final Position: The dolphin dives to a position of 10 meters below the surface of the water. We can represent this as -10 meters.
Now, we calculate the total change in position:
\[ \text{Change in Position} = \text{Final Position} - \text{Initial Position} = -10 - (3.5) = -10 - 3.5 = -13.5 \text{ meters} \]
Next, we calculate the average rate of change by dividing the change in position by the time taken:
\[ \text{Average Rate of Change} = \frac{\text{Change in Position}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{-13.5 \text{ meters}}{12.5 \text{ seconds}} = -1.08 \text{ meters/second} \]
Thus, the quotient that describes the average rate of change in the dolphin’s position is −1.08 meters/second.
The correct response is:
The quotient that describes the rate of change in the dolphin’s position is −1.08 meters/second.