document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=948867>Question 948867</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> 4)	An airplane at 20,000 feet begins to descend at 22 feet per second.  Let x represent the number of seconds and y represent the altitude in feet of the plane. The plane descends for 2.5 minutes and then climbs for 5 minutes at 15 feet per second. Which of the following is true concerning the slopes made by the plane's flight?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A	The descent at 22 feet per second is steeper than the climb at 15 feet per second because the plane descends at a faster rate than that at which it climbs.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "B. 	The descent at 22 feet per second is less than the climb at 15 feet per second because the slope representing the descent is negative.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "C. 	The climb at 15 feet persecond is steeper than thedescent at 22 feet per second because the climb isrepresented by a positiveslope.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "D 	The 5-minute climb is steeper because 5 minutes is longer than the descent time of 2.5 minutes.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #579178 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=macston><B>macston(5194)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=macston><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=macston><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=579178\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> x=number of seconds; y=altitude; b=starting altitude(time=x=0, so this is also the y-intercept); m=rate of change (slope)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "In mathematics, steepness is defined as the absolute value of the slope (m):<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=steepness=abs%28m%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"steepness=abs%28m%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The equation for the altitude at given time x:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y=mx+b<BR>\n" );
document.write( "For ascent, m will be positive, for descent m is negative.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "For the descent the equation is:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y=-22x+20000 feet so m=-22 and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=abs%28-22%29=22 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"abs%28-22%29=22\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "For the ascent the equation is:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "For this we will use b for the altitude because it is not essential to know the exact value; we could use the value 150 sec(time of descent in seconds) for x in the descent equation to find the exact value.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y=15x+b so m=15 and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=abs%2815%29=15 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"abs%2815%29=15\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The \"steepness\" of the descent is 22 and the \"steepness\" of the ascent is 15.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Since the greater number is steeper, the descent is more steep than the ascent.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "ANSWER: So the correct answer is A because the absolute value of the slope of the line is greater for the descent.<BR>\n" );
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