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) The quotient that best represents the rate of change in the plane’s altitude is

Answer 1

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

\[ \text{Rate of change} = \frac{\text{Change in altitude}}{\text{Time taken}} \]

In this case, the change in altitude is a descent of 4,000 feet, and the time taken is 3.5 minutes. We need to convert the time into hours to express the rate in feet per hour, or we can just keep it in minutes. Let's calculate the rate in feet per minute first:

\[ \text{Rate of change} = \frac{-4000 \text{ feet}}{3.5 \text{ minutes}} \approx -1142.86 \text{ feet per minute} \]

So, rounding this to the nearest hundredth:

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

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