A pilot is flying an airplane. Due to strong winds, the pilot decides to fly 4,000 feet lower to avoid excessive turbulence. It takes the pilot 3.5 minutes to make this adjustment. Interpret the quotient to describe the rate of change in the plane's altitude. Give your answer to the nearest hundredth, and remember the plane is descending.
To interpret the quotient as the rate of change in the plane's altitude, we would divide the change in altitude by the time taken to make this adjustment.
The change in altitude is 4,000 feet (since the plane is flying 4,000 feet lower).
The time taken is 3.5 minutes.
Therefore, the rate of change in the plane's altitude is 4,000 feet divided by 3.5 minutes.
Rounded to the nearest hundredth, the rate of change in the plane's altitude is approximately 1142.86 feet per minute.
To find the rate of change in the plane's altitude, we need to divide the change in altitude (4000 feet) by the time it takes to make the adjustment (3.5 minutes).
Rate of change = Change in altitude / Time
Rate of change = 4000 feet / 3.5 minutes
Using a calculator, we can determine the quotient:
Rate of change ≈ 1142.86
Therefore, the rate of change in the plane's altitude is approximately 1142.86 feet per minute (descending).
To determine the rate of change in the plane's altitude, we need to calculate the descent rate, which is the change in altitude divided by the time taken.
The pilot decided to fly 4,000 feet lower, so the change in altitude is -4,000 feet (negative because the plane is descending).
The time taken to make this adjustment is 3.5 minutes.
Now, we can calculate the rate of change in the plane's altitude by dividing the change in altitude by the time taken:
Rate of change = Change in altitude / Time taken
Rate of change = -4,000 feet / 3.5 minutes
To perform the calculation, we can use a calculator or divide the numerator by the denominator:
Rate of change ≈ -1142.86 feet/minute
Rounding to the nearest hundredth, the rate of change in the plane's altitude is approximately -1142.86 feet/minute.