Average Rate of Change Quick Check

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Question
The speed of an elevator (in feet per second) is modeled by the function f(x)=1.6875x
, where x is time in seconds. Estimate the average rate of change between 3.9 seconds and 8.2 seconds. Round the final answer to two decimal places.(1 point)
Responses

about 1.69 feet/second
about 1.69 feet/second

about 4.00 feet/second
about 4.00 feet/second

about 0.59 feet/second
about 0.59 feet/second

about 6.75 feet/second
about 6.75 feet/second

1 answer

To estimate the average rate of change of the function \( f(x) = 1.6875x \) between \( x = 3.9 \) seconds and \( x = 8.2 \) seconds, we can use the formula for average rate of change:

\[ \text{Average Rate of Change} = \frac{f(b) - f(a)}{b - a} \]

where \( a = 3.9 \) and \( b = 8.2 \).

First, calculate \( f(3.9) \):

\[ f(3.9) = 1.6875 \times 3.9 = 6.57875 \]

Next, calculate \( f(8.2) \):

\[ f(8.2) = 1.6875 \times 8.2 = 13.8375 \]

Now, substitute these values into the average rate of change formula:

\[ \text{Average Rate of Change} = \frac{13.8375 - 6.57875}{8.2 - 3.9} \]

Calculate the difference in function values:

\[ 13.8375 - 6.57875 = 7.25875 \]

Calculate the difference in time:

\[ 8.2 - 3.9 = 4.3 \]

Now, substitute these into the formula:

\[ \text{Average Rate of Change} = \frac{7.25875}{4.3} \approx 1.69 \]

Therefore, the average rate of change between 3.9 seconds and 8.2 seconds is approximately 1.69 feet/second.

The correct response is:

about 1.69 feet/second.