Question

the hot air balloon starts descending from an elevation of 2,400 feet. it descends at a constant rate of 400 feet per minute. what is the slope of this line? we can represent a decrease of 400 feet per minute as -400 feet per minute. the slope of this line is .

Explanation:

Step1: Define slope meaning

Slope = $\frac{\text{Change in elevation}}{\text{Change in time}}$

Step2: Identify rate of change

The balloon descends 400 ft per minute, so change in elevation is $-400$ ft, change in time is $1$ min.
<Expression>
Slope = $\frac{-400}{1}$
</Expression>

Step3: Calculate final slope

Simplify the fraction to get the slope.
<Expression>
Slope = $-400$
</Expression>

Answer:

$-400$