Final answer:
The slope of Raphael's race, which represents his speed, is calculated by the rise over run method and equals 12 yards per second, indicating he ran at a constant speed.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the slope of Raphael's race, we would use the concept of rise over run, which is shown as Δy/Δx in mathematical terms. By choosing any two points from the data given for the times and distances, we can calculate this value. Using the first and last points, (0, 0) and (4, 48), we find the rise to be 48 - 0 = 48 yards and the run to be 4 - 0 = 4 seconds. Therefore, the slope is 48 yards / 4 seconds = 12 yards per second.
Raphael's race can be represented on a graph with time on the horizontal axis and distance on the vertical axis. The slope indicates the speed, thus, Raphael's speed was constant at 12 yards per second, which answers the student's question.