Question

1. the cooling of a cup of coffee is modeled by the function t(t)=60e^(-0.1t)+20. what does 20 represent in the equation?

a. the cooling rate of the coffee
b. the number of minutes needed to cool the coffee
c. the room temperature the coffee approaches over time
d. the initial temperature of the coffee

Explanation:

In an exponential - decay cooling model like $T(t)=60e^{- 0.1t}+20$, as $t$ (time) approaches infinity, $e^{-0.1t}$ approaches 0. So, $T(t)$ approaches 20. This represents the ambient or room temperature that the coffee's temperature will approach over time.

Answer:

C. The room temperature the coffee approaches over time