Question

once the hot air balloon reaches its cruising altitude, it flies at an elevation of 2,400 feet. it stays at its cruising altitude, meaning it does not ascend or descend, for 30 minutes. the slope of this line is 0. what does the slope of 0 mean in this situation? the balloon’s elevation is at 0 feet. the balloon’s elevation does not increase or decrease.

Explanation:

Slope is calculated as $\frac{\text{change in elevation}}{\text{change in time}}$. A slope of 0 means the change in elevation is 0 over time, so elevation stays constant. The problem states the balloon does not ascend or descend at cruising altitude, which matches this definition.

Answer:

The balloon's elevation does not increase or decrease.