You began membership in a new health and fitness club which has access to a dietician and personal trainer. They help you develop a special eight-week diet and exercise program. The data in the following table represents your weight, w, as a function of time, t, over an eight-week period.Time (weeks)012345678Weight (lb)150144143141140137137132129If you lost 13 pounds in the first five weeks, what is the average rate of change of weight with respect to time over the first five weeks of the program?
The average rate of change is the change in weight divided by the change in time. Over the first five weeks, weight went from 150 lb to 137 lb, so (137 − 150) ÷ (5 − 0) = −13 ÷ 5 = −2.6 pounds per week. The negative sign indicates that the weight decreased, so the correct choice is −2.6 pounds per week.
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