Question

In 1987 a locally-owned car company sold 2,133 cars. In 2001, the car sales rose to 4,676. What was the average rate of change for the total number of cars sold?

A. 182 cars per year
B. 5.51 cars per year
C. 3,405 cars per year
D. 2,543 cars per year

Answer 1

To find the average rate of change for car sales between 1987 and 2001, subtract the initial sales from the final sales, and divide by the years passed. The calculation gives an average rate of increase of 182 cars per year, meaning the correct answer is A. 182 cars per year.

Step-by-step explanation:

The average rate of change for car sales can be calculated by finding the difference in the number of cars sold between the two given years and then dividing by the number of years that have passed between those two years.

Firstly, we subtract the initial number of cars sold (1987) from the final number of cars sold (2001):

4,676 (2001) - 2,133 (1987) = 2,543 cars

Then, we find out the number of years between 1987 and 2001:

2001 - 1987 = 14 years

Finally, we divide the total change in sales by the number of years:

2,543 cars ÷ 14 years = 181.64 cars per year, which can be rounded to 182 cars per year.

Therefore, the correct answer is A. 182 cars per year.