High School

The speed of an elevator (in feet per second) is modeled by the function [tex]f(x) = 1.6875x[/tex], where [tex]x[/tex] is time in seconds. Estimate the average rate of change between 3.9 seconds and 8.2 seconds. Round the final answer to two decimal places.

A. about 4.00 feet/second
B. about 1.69 feet/second
C. about 0.59 feet/second
D. about 6.75 feet/second

Answer :

To find the average rate of change of the function
$$f(x)=1.6875x$$
between $x=3.9$ seconds and $x=8.2$ seconds, we follow these steps:

1. Calculate the value of the function at each time:
$$f(3.9)=1.6875(3.9)=6.58125,$$
$$f(8.2)=1.6875(8.2)=13.8375.$$

2. Find the change in the function values:
$$\Delta f=f(8.2)-f(3.9)=13.8375-6.58125=7.25625.$$

3. Determine the change in time:
$$\Delta t=8.2-3.9=4.3.$$

4. Compute the average rate of change using the formula:
$$\text{Average Rate of Change}=\frac{\Delta f}{\Delta t}=\frac{7.25625}{4.3}\approx1.69.$$

Thus, the average rate of change of the elevator’s speed between 3.9 seconds and 8.2 seconds is approximately
$$1.69\ \text{feet per second}.$$