Final answer:
The snail's rate in minutes per meter is found by dividing the time taken by the distance traveled. After converting to improper fractions and calculating, the rate is 1.33 minutes per meter, which is option (b).
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the snail's rate in minutes per meter, we divide the time it takes to travel a certain distance by the distance traveled. In this case, the snail travels 1 1/8 meters in 1 1/2 minutes.
First, we convert the mixed numbers into improper fractions:
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- 1 1/8 becomes (1×8 + 1) / 8 = 9/8 meters
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- 1 1/2 becomes (1×2 + 1) / 2 = 3/2 minutes
Now, to calculate the rate, divide the time by the distance which is (3/2) /(9/8).
When dividing fractions, we multiply by the reciprocal: (3/2) × (8/9) = 24/18.
Simplifying 24/18, we get 4/3 or approximately 1.33. Thus, the snail's rate is 1.33 minutes/meter.
The correct choice is (b) 1.33 minutes/meter.