Question

16
a dolphin is underwater. its position below sea level changes by -42.5 ft in 5 minutes. what is the average change in the dolphin’s position each minute?
is the dolphin going deeper or toward the surface of the water? show your work.
explain your reasoning.

Explanation:

Step1: Define the problem

We need to find the average change in the dolphin's position per minute. The total change in position is \(-42.5\) ft over \(5\) minutes. To find the average rate of change, we use the formula for average rate: \(\text{Average change} = \frac{\text{Total change in position}}{\text{Total time}}\)

Step2: Calculate the average change

Substitute the given values into the formula. The total change in position is \(-42.5\) ft and the total time is \(5\) minutes. So we have:
\(\text{Average change} = \frac{-42.5}{5}\)
Calculating this division: \(\frac{-42.5}{5}=-8.5\) ft per minute.

Step3: Interpret the sign

A negative value for the change in position (below sea level) means the dolphin is moving deeper (since moving toward the surface would be a positive change or less negative, and moving deeper is a more negative change in terms of position below sea level).

Answer:

The average change in the dolphin's position each minute is \(-8.5\) ft. The negative sign indicates the dolphin is going deeper (since the position below sea level is increasing in magnitude, meaning it's moving further down from the surface).