A bird is flying at an average altitude of 10 meters above the ground. After 3 seconds it settles on a branch that is 3 meters above the ground. Interpret the quotient to describe the rate of change in the birds altitude. Give your answer to the nearest hundredths and remember that the bird is descending.

Answer 1

The rate of change in the bird's altitude can be determined by finding the difference in altitude, divided by the time taken. In this case, the bird is descending from an altitude of 10 meters to an altitude of 3 meters, which is a difference of 10 - 3 = 7 meters. The time taken is 3 seconds.

So the quotient to describe the rate of change in the bird's altitude is 7 meters / 3 seconds ≈ 2.33 meters/second.

Therefore, the rate of change in the bird's altitude is approximately 2.33 meters per second.