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An air conditioner is turned on at 1:00 pm. By 3:30 pm the room temperature had dropped from 82F to 72F. Find the average rate of change of temperature in this room over the period

User Linusg
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1 Answer

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Given:

From 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm the room temperature had dropped from 82F to 72F.

To find:

The average rate of change of temperature in this room over the period.

Solution:

Time between 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm is 2 hr 30 minutes, i.e., 2.5 hours.

So, change in time is 2.5 hours.

Room temperature had dropped from 82F to 72F.

Change in temperature = 72 F - 82 F

= -10 F

We know that, average rate of change of temperature in this room over the period is


m=\frac{\text{Change in temperature}}{\text{Change in time}}


m=(-10)/(2.5)


m=-4

Therefore, the average rate of change of temperature in this room over the period is -4. It means the temperature is decreasing 4 F per hour.

User Bob Zheng
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