Final answer:
The rate of change of elevation for hikers Felix and Kia is approximately 334 feet per hour when descending from 3,560 feet to 2,390 feet over a 3.5-hour period.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to calculate the rate of change of elevation for hikers between 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm. To find the rate, we need to divide the change in elevation by the change in time. The change in elevation (rise) is the final elevation subtracted from the initial elevation, and the change in time (run) is the difference between the final and start times.
The initial elevation is 3,560 feet and the final elevation is 2,390 feet. The total change in elevation is 3,560 feet - 2,390 feet = 1,170 feet. The start time is 2:00 pm and the end time is 5:30 pm, thus the hike took 3.5 hours (since 5:30 pm is 3 hours and 30 minutes after 2:00 pm).
To get the rate of change per hour, we divide the total change in elevation by the total number of hours: 1,170 feet / 3.5 hours = 334.29 feet/hour. Rounding to the nearest whole foot, the rate of change in elevation is approximately 334 feet per hour.