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)

Question

The quotient that best represents the rate o

Answer 1

To find the rate of change in the plane's altitude, we can use the formula for rate of change, which is:

\[ \text{Rate of Change} = \frac{\text{Change in Altitude}}{\text{Change in Time}} \]

In this case:

• The change in altitude is \(-4000\) feet (since the plane is descending, we use a negative sign).
• The change in time is \(3.5\) minutes.

Now we calculate the quotient:

\[ \text{Rate of Change} = \frac{-4000 \text{ feet}}{3.5 \text{ minutes}} \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ \text{Rate of Change} = -1142.8571 \text{ feet per minute} \]

Rounding this to the nearest hundredth, we get:

\[ \text{Rate of Change} \approx -1142.86 \text{ feet per minute} \]

Thus, the rate of change in the plane’s altitude is approximately \(-1142.86\) feet per minute, indicating the plane is descending at this rate.