To find the rate of change in the balloon's altitude, you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Rate of change} = \frac{\text{Change in altitude}}{\text{Time taken}} \]
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Calculate the change in altitude:
- Final altitude: 200 feet
- Initial altitude: 50 feet
- Change in altitude = Final altitude - Initial altitude = 200 feet - 50 feet = 150 feet
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Calculate the time taken:
- The time taken is 7 minutes.
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Now, calculate the rate of change: \[ \text{Rate of change} = \frac{150 \text{ feet}}{7 \text{ minutes}} \approx 21.43 \text{ feet per minute} \]
Thus, the rate of change in the balloon's altitude is approximately 21.43 feet per minute. This rate can be represented as a rational number since it can be expressed as \(\frac{150}{7}\).
The correct answer is: 21.43 feet per minute.