Question

The table below shows the distance d(t) in feet that an object travels in t seconds.. . . t . (second). d(t) . (feet). 3. 126. 4. 224. 5. 350. 6. 504. . . What is the average rate of change of d(t) between 3 seconds and 5 seconds and what does it represent?

Answer 1

The table and the numbers might be a little intimidating but this is actually just a speed-distance-time problem. When we say average rate, we mean average speed, in this case.

Here is the solution:


`average speed = (350-126)/(5-3) = 112 (ft)/(s)`

This represents the average speed of the system. If we plot the table, the speed represents the slope of the line.