Question

The temperature (in degrees Celsius) as a function of time (in hours since noon) for a certain day in San Jose, Costa Rica, is graphed. What is the approximate average rate at which the temperature decreases between 3:30 pm and 8:30 pm?

A) 0.8 degrees Celsius per hour

B) 1 degree Celsius per hour

C) 1.2 degrees Celsius per hour

D) 1.4 degrees Celsius per hour

Answer 1

The approximate average rate at which the temperature decreases between 3:30 pm and 8:30 pm is 1.2 degrees Celsius per hour.

Step-by-step explanation:

The average rate at which the temperature decreases between 3:30 pm and 8:30 pm can be found by calculating the temperature change and dividing it by the time interval.

From the graph, we can estimate that the temperature at 3:30 pm is around 28 degrees Celsius, and at 8:30 pm it is around 22 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the temperature decrease is 28 - 22 = 6 degrees Celsius.

The time interval between 3:30 pm and 8:30 pm is 5 hours. Hence, the approximate average rate at which the temperature decreases is 6 degrees Celsius / 5 hours = 1.2 degrees Celsius per hour.

Therefore, the correct answer is C) 1.2 degrees Celsius per hour.