Final answer:
The rate of change in the number of workers per year at the carpet factory from 2012 to 2017 is calculated by subtracting the number of workers in 2012 (2,400) from the number in 2017 (3,500), then dividing by the number of years (5), resulting in 220 workers per year.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the rate of change in the number of workers per year at a carpet factory from 2012 to 2017. To calculate the rate of change, we subtract the initial number of workers from the final number of workers and then divide by the number of years over which the change occurred.
The initial number of workers in 2012 was 2,400, and the final number of workers in 2017 was 3,500. The number of years between 2012 and 2017 is 5. So the calculation of the annual rate of change is:
(Final number of workers - Initial number of workers) / Number of years
(3,500 - 2,400) / 5 = 1,100 / 5 = 220
Therefore, the annual rate of change in the number of workers is 220 workers per year.