A bird is flying at an average altitude of 10 meters above the ground. After 3 seconds it settles on a branch that is 3 meters above the ground. Interpret the quotient to describe the rate of change in the birds altitude give your answer to the nearest hundredths and remember that the bird is descending. The quotient that best represents the rate of change in the birds altitude is
-2.33.
To find the rate of change in the bird's altitude, we can calculate the change in altitude over the given time.
The bird's initial altitude is 10 meters, and after 3 seconds, it settles on a branch that is 3 meters above the ground. The change in altitude is calculated by subtracting the final altitude from the initial altitude:
Change in altitude = Final altitude - Initial altitude
Change in altitude = 3 meters - 10 meters
Change in altitude = -7 meters
Now, we can calculate the rate of change by dividing the change in altitude by the time it takes:
Rate of change = Change in altitude / Time
Rate of change = -7 meters / 3 seconds
To express the rate of change to the nearest hundredths, we divide -7 by 3, which equals approximately -2.33.
Therefore, the quotient that best represents the rate of change in the bird's altitude is -2.33.