Sea level is considered to be 0 feet. A probe released at sea level dropped at a constant rate for 3.25 minutes, reaching an elevation of −35.75 feet relative to sea level.
What was the probe's elevation relative to sea level after the first minute?
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feet
The probe's elevation after the first minute can be calculated by finding the change in elevation in the first minute.
Since the probe dropped at a constant rate, we can assume that it dropped the same amount each minute.
So, after the first minute, the probe would have dropped 1 minute's worth of its total drop in 3.25 minutes.
To find this drop, we can divide the total drop by the total time and multiply it by 1 minute:
Drop per minute = (−35.75 feet) / (3.25 minutes) * (1 minute) = -11 feet.
Therefore, the probe's elevation relative to sea level after the first minute is 0 feet - 11 feet = -11 feet. Answer: \boxed{-11}.
To find the probe's elevation after the first minute, we need to determine its rate of descent and subtract that from its initial elevation.
Given that the probe dropped at a constant rate for 3.25 minutes and reached an elevation of -35.75 feet, we can calculate its rate of descent per minute by dividing the change in elevation by the duration:
Rate of descent = (-35.75 feet) / (3.25 minutes) ≈ -11 feet/minute
Using this information, we can find the probe's elevation after the first minute by subtracting the rate of descent from its initial elevation:
Elevation after the first minute = (initial elevation) - (rate of descent * time)
Since the initial elevation is 0 feet and the time is 1 minute, we can substitute the values into the equation:
Elevation after the first minute = 0 feet - (-11 feet/minute * 1 minute) = 0 feet + 11 feet = 11 feet
Therefore, the probe's elevation relative to sea level after the first minute is 11 feet.