Question

Calculate the rate of change for the given data:

x ​ y
−1 5
2 −4
7 −19
10 −28
​
Options:
a) -3
b) 4
c) -9
d) 6

Answer 1

The rate of change for the given data is found by calculating the slope between any two points. Using the first two data points, the rate of change is calculated to be -3, which corresponds to option a).

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks how to calculate the rate of change for a set of data points. The rate of change in this context is the change in the y-values divided by the change in the x-values, which is the slope of the line that connects these data points.

Given the data points (-1, 5), (2, -4), (7, -19), and (10, -28), we can calculate the rate of change between any two points. Taking the first two, the rate of change (slope) is:

(-4 - 5)/(2 - (-1)) = (-9)/3 = -3.

Hence, the correct answer from the options provided is a) -3.