To find the average rate of change in the dolphin's position, we need to calculate the total change in position and divide it by the total time.
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The dolphin's highest point above the water is +3.5 meters, and its lowest point is -10 meters.
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To find the total change in position: \[ \text{Total Change} = \text{Final Position} - \text{Initial Position} = (-10) - (3.5) = -10 - 3.5 = -13.5 \text{ meters} \]
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The time taken for this change is 12.5 seconds.
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Now, we calculate the average rate of change: \[ \text{Average Rate of Change} = \frac{\text{Total Change}}{\text{Total Time}} = \frac{-13.5 \text{ meters}}{12.5 \text{ seconds}} \approx -1.08 \text{ meters/second} \]
Therefore, the correct response is: The quotient that describes the rate of change in the dolphin’s position is −1.08 meters/second.