Question

An elevator travels down from the top floor of a skyscraper. Its height, in feet, is given

by the equation h = 1250 - 25t, where h represents the elevator's height, in feet,
and t represents the time, in seconds. What could the number 25 represent in the
equation?

A) How long it takes for the elevator to reach the ground floor.

B) The elevator's final height.

C) The change in the elevator's height for every one additional second.

D) The elevator's height after one second.

Answer 1

The number 25 in the equation h = 1250 - 25t represents the rate of descent of the elevator, which is a 25-foot decrease in height for each additional second.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the equation h = 1250 - 25t, which describes the height of an elevator over time as it descends from the top of a skyscraper, the number 25 represents the change in height of the elevator for every additional second of travel time. This is known as the rate of descent. Since 't' corresponds to time in seconds, and 'h' corresponds to height in feet, the '25' in the equation indicates the elevator descends 25 feet each second. Therefore, the correct answer is (C) The change in the elevator's height for every one additional second.