Question

The graph shows the altitude of a bird overtime.

What is the slope of the line and what does it mean in this situation?

•The slope is -500. This means that the bird descends 500 m each minute.

•The slope is -350. This means that the bird descends 350 m each minute.

•The slope is 350. This means that the bird ascends 350 m each minute.

•The slope is 500. This means that the bird ascends 500 m each minute.

Answer 1

The correct option is 1. The slope is -500. This means that the bird descends 500 m each minute.

Explanation:

The given graph shows the altitude of a bird over time (min). It means slope of the line represents the change in altitude with respect to time.

The slope formula:

`m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)`

From the given graph it is noticed that the line passing through (2,5000) and (5,3500). So, the slope of the line is

`m=(3500-5000)/(5-2)`

`m=(-1500)/(3)`

`m=-500`

The slope is -500. This means that the bird descends 500 m each minute.

Therefore option 1 is correct.

Answer 2

Keywords:

Graph, altitude, time, line, slope

For this case we have a graph that represents the altitude of a bird as a function of time. We must find the slope of the graph and explain its meaning in this context. By definition, you must know at least two points of a line to find its slope, since it is given by:

`m = \frac {y_ {2} -y_ {1}} {x_ {2} -x_ {1}}`

Where:

• y: Represents the altitude of the bird

• x: The flight time of the bird

From the graph we observe the points:

`(x_ {1}, y_ {1}) = (2,5000)\\(x_ {2}, y_ {2}) = (5,3500)`

Substituting in the formula of the slope we have:

`m = \frac {3500-5000} {5-2}\\m = \frac {-1500} {3}\\m = -500`

This means that the bird descends 500m per minute.

Answer:

The slope is -500. This means that the bird descends 500 m each minute.