Due to strong winds, a pilot decides to fly 3,000 feet lower to avoid excessive turbulaence. It takes the pilot 2.5 minutes to make this adjustment. What is the rate of change in the plane's altitude. Remember the plane is descending.

Answer 1

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

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

In this case, the change in altitude is a descent of 3,000 feet, and the time taken for this descent is 2.5 minutes.

First, we convert 2.5 minutes into hours for easier calculation, although the unit can remain in minutes as long as we keep it consistent:

\[ 2.5 \text{ minutes} = 2.5 \text{ minutes} \]

Now we can calculate the rate of change:

\[ \text{Rate of Change} = \frac{-3000 \text{ feet}}{2.5 \text{ minutes}} = -1200 \text{ feet per minute} \]

The negative sign indicates that the plane is descending. Thus, the rate of change in the plane's altitude is:

\[ \text{Rate of Change} = -1200 \text{ feet per minute} \]