Question

A certain mountain has an elevation of 19,702 feet. In 1902 the glacier on this peak covered by 10 acres. By 2001 this glacier had melted to only 1 acre. A: Assume that this glacier melted at a constant rate each year. Find this yearly rate? The yearly rate? What is the equation that gives you the acreage of the glacier t years after 1902?

Answer 1

acres/year = (10-1 acres) / (1902-2001) = -9/99 acres/year = 0.090909... acres/year melted. That is the yearly rate! For the equation, you need a y-value, an x-value, and a slope (m) value. From the problem, x1 = 10 [Acres] and y1 = 0 [t, years since 1901]. The slope, m, was found earlier to be m = 0.090909... The formula for the equation is y-y1 = m(x-x1). Substituting in, A-0=0.091(t-10). Solve for A, and the final equation is...A=0.091t-0.909!