Question

An airplane is cruising at an altitude of 40,000 feet and descends at a rate of 8,000 feet per minute. Which equation represents this situation?

1) y = 40000 - 8000x
2) y = 40000 + 8000x
3) y = 40000 - 8000
4) y = 40000 + 8000

Answer 1

The equation that represents an airplane cruising at an altitude of 40,000 feet and descending at a rate of 8,000 feet per minute is y = 40000 - 8000x.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation describes an airplane cruising at an altitude and descending at a steady rate. To represent this situation mathematically, we use a linear equation where the altitude y changes with time x. The initial altitude is the y-intercept, and the rate of descent is the slope of the line, which should be negative since the altitude decreases over time.

The correct equation to represent this situation is y = 40000 - 8000x, which shows that starting from an altitude of 40,000 feet, the airplane descends at a rate of 8,000 feet per minute. As time increases by one unit (x), the altitude decreases by 8,000 feet.