Answer:
Rate of change = $0.55/pound
Step-by-step explanation:
Given:
To ship a 2 pound item it costs $6.09.
To ship a 7 pound item it costs $8.84.
So, we can put the data in co-ordinates [tex](x,y)[/tex] such that [tex]x[/tex] co-ordinate represents the mass of the item in pounds and [tex]y[/tex] co-ordinate represents the cost of the item in dollars.
So, we will have two points
[tex](2,6.09)\ and\ (7,8.84)[/tex]
Rate of change is the slope [tex](m)[/tex] of the line joining the points and is given by:
[tex]m=\frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}[/tex]
[tex]m=\frac{8.84-6.09}{7-2}[/tex]
[tex]m=\frac{2.75}{5}[/tex]
[tex]m=0.55[/tex]
∴ Rate of change = $0.55/pound