Question

Isaiah, a doctor's office receptionist, tracked the average waiting time at the office each month.
Average waiting time at a doctor's office
Month Waiting time (minutes)
March 33
April 31
May 42
June 29
July 29
According to the table, what was the rate of change between March and April?
___ minutes per month

Answer 1

To find the rate of change between March and April, we need to calculate the difference in waiting times and then divide by the difference in months.

1. The average waiting time in March = 33 minutes
2. The average waiting time in April = 31 minutes
3. The difference in waiting time = 31 - 33 = -2 minutes
4. The difference in months = April - March = 1 month

Now, we calculate the rate of change:

\[
\text{Rate of change} = \frac{\text{Difference in waiting time}}{\text{Difference in months}} = \frac{-2 \text{ minutes}}{1 \text{ month}} = -2 \text{ minutes per month}
\]

Therefore, the rate of change between March and April is **-2 minutes per month**.