A starfish’s top speed is approximately 161 centimeters per minute. What is this speed to the nearest centimeter per second?

2 centimeters per second
3 centimeters per second
9,660 centimeters per second
16,100 centimeters per second

1 answer

To convert the starfish's speed from centimeters per minute to centimeters per second, you can use the conversion factor that there are 60 seconds in a minute.

  1. Start with the speed in centimeters per minute: \[ 161 \text{ cm/min} \]

  2. Convert to centimeters per second by dividing by 60: \[ \frac{161 \text{ cm/min}}{60 \text{ seconds/min}} \approx 2.6833 \text{ cm/s} \]

  3. Round to the nearest centimeter per second: \[ 2.6833 \text{ cm/s} \text{ rounds to } 3 \text{ cm/s.} \]

So, the speed of the starfish to the nearest centimeter per second is 3 centimeters per second.