Question

A starfish’s top speed is approximately 161 centimeters per minute. What is this speed to the nearest centimeter per second?
2 centimeters per second
3 centimeters per second
9,660 centimeters per second
16,100 centimeters per second

Answer 1

To convert the starfish's speed from centimeters per minute to centimeters per second, you can use the conversion factor that there are 60 seconds in a minute.

1. Start with the speed in centimeters per minute:
\[
161 \text{ cm/min}
\]

2. Convert to centimeters per second by dividing by 60:
\[
\frac{161 \text{ cm/min}}{60 \text{ seconds/min}} \approx 2.6833 \text{ cm/s}
\]

3. Round to the nearest centimeter per second:
\[
2.6833 \text{ cm/s} \text{ rounds to } 3 \text{ cm/s.}
\]

So, the speed of the starfish to the nearest centimeter per second is **3 centimeters per second**.