Question

Julia, 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)
August 12
September 12
October 11
November 13
December 14
According to the table, what was the rate of change between August and December?
minutes per month

Answer 1

To find the rate of change in waiting time between August and December, we first need to determine the change in waiting time and the number of months between these two points.

1. **Waiting Time in August**: 12 minutes
2. **Waiting Time in December**: 14 minutes

**Change in Waiting Time**:
\[
\text{Change} = \text{Waiting Time in December} - \text{Waiting Time in August}
\]
\[
\text{Change} = 14 - 12 = 2 \text{ minutes}
\]

**Number of Months Between August and December**:
From August to December is 4 months (August, September, October, November, December).

**Rate of Change**:
To find the rate of change, divide the change in waiting time by the number of months:
\[
\text{Rate of Change} = \frac{\text{Change in Waiting Time}}{\text{Number of Months}} = \frac{2 \text{ minutes}}{4 \text{ months}} = 0.5 \text{ minutes per month}
\]

Thus, the rate of change in the average waiting time between August and December is **0.5 minutes per month**.