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) Is it -?

Answer 1

The quotient in this scenario is the rate of change in the plane's altitude, which is the change in altitude divided by the time taken. Since the pilot is descending, the change in altitude is negative and the time taken is positive.

Given that the plane descends 4,000 feet and it takes 3.5 minutes to make this adjustment, the rate of change in altitude can be calculated by -4000 feet/3.5 minutes ≈ -1142.86 feet/minute.

Therefore, the interpretation of the quotient is that the plane is descending at a rate of approximately 1142.86 feet per minute.