Question

A nurse is monitoring the contractions of a woman in labor. A contraction is recorded as beginning at 10:00 am and ending at 10:01 am. Another begins at 10:15 am. A third contraction begins at 10:30 am. What is the frequency of the contractions?

A. 9 minutes
B. 14 minutes
C. 15 minutes
D. 10 minutes

Answer 1

The frequency of the contractions in the described scenario is 15 minutes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The frequency of the contractions is the time between the start of one contraction and the start of the next. In this scenario, the first contraction begins at 10:00 am and ends at 10:01 am, and the next contraction begins at 10:15 am. To calculate the frequency, we subtract the start time of the first contraction from the start time of the following contraction, which is 10:15 am minus 10:00 am, resulting in a 15-minute interval. Then the following contraction begins at 10:30 am, which is also 15 minutes after the previous one started at 10:15 am. Therefore, the frequency of the contractions is 15 minutes.

Answer 2

The frequency of the contractions is 15 minutes, as there is a 15-minute interval between the start of each contraction.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the frequency of the contractions, we need to determine the time interval between the start of one contraction and the start of the next. The contractions began at 10:00 am, 10:15 am, and 10:30 am. Therefore, the interval between the first and second contraction is 15 minutes, and the interval between the second and third contraction is also 15 minutes. The frequency of the contractions is therefore 15 minutes. The correct answer is C. 15 minutes.