STEP - BY - STEP EXPLANATION
What to find?
Rate of change of the given function.
Given:
Step 1
State the formula for rate of change.
[tex]Rate\text{ of change=}\frac{f(b)-f(a)}{b-a}[/tex]
Step 2
Choose any two point within the given interval.
(3, 59) and (6, 44)
⇒a=3 f(a) =59
b= 6 f(b)=44
Step 3
Substitute the values into the formula and simplify.
[tex]Rate\text{ of change=}\frac{44-59}{6-3}[/tex][tex]=\frac{-15}{3}[/tex][tex]=-5[/tex]
ANSWER
Rate of change = -5
