Final answer:
To calculate the speed of the file transfer from the CIA mainframe to a flash drive, the student subtracted the initial amount of data on the drive from the amount after the transfer and divided by the time taken. The result is approximately 4.1 megabytes per second, with the closest provided option being 4.06 megabytes per second.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked to find the rate at which classified files were transferred from the CIA mainframe into a flash drive. To calculate this, we need to know the amount of data transferred and the time taken for this transfer. Initially, the flash drive had 36.5 megabytes on it. After 125 seconds, it had 549 megabytes. The amount of data transferred is the final amount minus the initial amount, which is 549 megabytes - 36.5 megabytes = 512.5 megabytes.
The speed of transfer, which is the rate at which data is transferred, can be calculated by dividing the total amount of data by the time taken to transfer it. Therefore, the transfer speed is 512.5 megabytes / 125 seconds = 4.1 megabytes per second (rounded to two decimal places).
Note that while the answers provided are in megabytes per second and have a precision to two decimal places, the actual answer may vary slightly due to rounding. The most accurate choice given the options provided is (A) 4.06 megabytes per second.