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 bird’s altitude. Give your answer to the nearest hundredth and remember that the bird is descending.(1 point)

Answer 1

To find the rate of change in the bird's altitude, we need to calculate the change in altitude and then divide that by the time it took to change that altitude.

1. Initial altitude: 10 meters (while flying)
2. Final altitude: 3 meters (on the branch)
3. Change in altitude: Final altitude - Initial altitude = 3 meters - 10 meters = -7 meters
4. Time taken for the change: 3 seconds

Now, we can calculate the rate of change in the bird's altitude:

\[ \text{Rate of change} = \frac{\text{Change in altitude}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{-7 \text{ meters}}{3 \text{ seconds}} \approx -2.33 \text{ meters per second} \]

The negative sign indicates that the bird is descending.

Therefore, the rate of change in the bird’s altitude, to the nearest hundredth, is approximately -2.33 meters per second.