Final answer:
The coffee is cooling down at a rate of 2 1/2 degrees per minute, which is obtained by dividing the change in temperature by the time, resulting in 5/2 degrees per minute.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the rate at which coffee is cooling down. It provides that the coffee cools down by 1/2 of a degree in 1/5 of a minute. To find the rate, we divide the amount of temperature change by the time taken for that change. Therefore, the rate is:
Rate = Temperature Change / Time
= (1/2 degree) / (1/5 minute)
= (1/2) ÷ (1/5)
= (1/2) × (5/1)
= 5/2 degrees per minute
or simply 2 1/2 degrees per minute.