To calculate the rate of change in the diver's elevation using two points on the graph, you can use the formula for the slope, which is:
\[ \text{Rate of Change} = \frac{\text{Change in Elevation}}{\text{Change in Time}} = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
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Identify two points on the graph. For example, let’s assume the two points are \( (3, 10) \) and \( (5, -20) \). Here, \( x \) represents the time in minutes and \( y \) represents the elevation in feet.
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Plug in the values for the two points into the formula:
- Point 1 (3 minutes): \( (3, 10) \)
- Point 2 (5 minutes): \( (5, -20) \)
- Calculate the changes:
- Change in Elevation: \( -20 - 10 = -30 \) feet
- Change in Time: \( 5 - 3 = 2 \) minutes
- Now substitute the changes into the rate of change formula:
\[ \text{Rate of Change} = \frac{-30}{2} = -15 \text{ feet per minute} \]
Thus, the rate of change in the diver’s elevation is \(-15\) feet per minute.