A bird is flying at an altitude of 10 meters above ground. After 3 seconds it settles on a branch that is 3 meters above the ground. Interpret the quotient to describe the rate change in the birds altitude

Answer 1

The quotient in this case would be the change in altitude divided by the change in time, which is (3 meters - 10 meters)/(3 seconds). This can be simplified to (-7 meters)/(3 seconds).

Interpreting this quotient, we can say that the rate of change in the bird's altitude is -7/3 meters per second. The negative sign indicates that the bird is descending (going downwards) at a rate of 7/3 meters per second.