A drone is flying at an altitude of 120 feet above the ground. It needs to descend to deliver a package to a specific spot 25 feet above the ground. The drone takes 8.4 seconds to make it's descent. Interpret the quotient to describe how quickly the drone is losing altitude

Answer 1

To interpret the quotient regarding how quickly the drone is losing altitude, we first need to determine the total altitude change and then calculate the rate of descent.

1. Initial Altitude: 120 feet

2. Final Altitude: 25 feet

3. Total Descent: \[ 120 \text{ feet} - 25 \text{ feet} = 95 \text{ feet} \]

4. Time Taken for Descent: 8.4 seconds

Next, we calculate the rate of descent (the quotient) by dividing the total altitude change by the time taken:

\[ \text{Rate of Descent} = \frac{\text{Total Descent}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{95 \text{ feet}}{8.4 \text{ seconds}} \approx 11.31 \text{ feet per second} \]

Interpretation: The drone is losing altitude at a rate of approximately 11.31 feet per second during its descent. This means that for every second that passes, the drone drops about 11.31 feet closer to the ground until it reaches the delivery altitude.