A pilot is flying an airplane. Due to strong winds, the pilot decides to fly 4,000 feet lower to avoid excessive turbulence. It takes the pilot 3.5 minutes to make this adjustment. Interpret the quotient to describe the rate of change in the plane's altitude. Give your answer to the nearest hundredth, and remember the plane is descending. (1 point)

Answer 1

To interpret the quotient, we divide the change in altitude (4,000 feet) by the time it takes to make this adjustment (3.5 minutes):

Rate of change in altitude = 4000 feet / 3.5 minutes

Round this quotient to the nearest hundredth:

Rate of change in altitude = 1142.86 feet/minute (rounded to the nearest hundredth)

Therefore, the rate of change in the plane's altitude, while descending, is approximately 1142.86 feet per minute.