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 of change in the plane’s altitude is ___ feet/minute.

Answer 1

To find the rate of change in the plane's altitude, we can calculate the quotient by dividing the change in altitude by the time taken to make that change.

The plane is descending 4,000 feet over a time period of 3.5 minutes.

The calculation for the rate of change (in feet per minute) is as follows:

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

Calculating this gives:

\[ \text{Rate of change} = \frac{-4000}{3.5} \approx -1142.857 \]

Rounding to the nearest hundredth, we get:

\[ \text{Rate of change} \approx -1142.86 \text{ feet/minute} \]

Thus, the quotient that best represents the rate of change in the plane’s altitude is -1142.86 feet/minute.