Question

The weight, w, of a baby elephant is shown in the table, where t is the number of weeks of growth.

Weight of Baby Elephant in Pounds Over a Period of Weeks
t (in weeks) 0 1 2 3 4 5
w (in lbs) 210 231 252 273 294 315
Which equation shows how to calculate the rate of change for interval 1 to 2?

(1 point)

252−2231−1≈1.1

252−2312−1≈21

315−2315−1≈21

252+2312+1≈241.5

Answer 1

The correct equation is the second option: (252 − 231) / (2 − 1) ≈ 21.

Explanation: rate of change = change in weight ÷ change in time = (w(2) − w(1)) / (2 − 1) = (252 − 231) / 1 = 21 lbs/week.