Final answer:
Tinkerbell's rate of making fairy dust per hour is calculated by dividing the total pounds of fairy dust by the total hours spent. The result is a rate of 17.04 pounds per hour, which is approximately 17.0 pounds per hour, hence the answer is (b) 17.0 pounds per hour.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find Tinkerbell's rate of making fairy dust per hour, we need to divide the total amount of fairy dust she makes by the total hours she spends making it. The formula to calculate the rate is:
Rate = Total Quantity / Total Time
Plugging in the values given in the question:
Rate = 42.6 pounds / 2.5 hours
Calculating the rate we get:
Rate = 17.04 pounds per hour
If we round down to the nearest tenth, as is typical in math problems, we get:
Rate = 17.0 pounds per hour
So the correct answer is (b) 17.0 pounds per hour.