Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Algebra 1

4.8.6 Practice

Algebra 14.8.6 Practice

4.8.6 Practice

4.8.6 • Practice

Complete the following questions to practice the skills you have learned in this lesson.

Use the following information to answer questions 1 - 5.

The temperature was recorded at several times during the day. Function T gives the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, n hours since midnight. A graph for this function is provided.

  1. For the interval from n = 1 to n = 5 , determine if the average rate of change of the temperature is positive, negative, or zero.
  1. positive
  2. negative
  3. zero
  1. For the interval from n = 5 to n = 7 , determine if the average rate of change of the temperature is positive, negative, or zero.
  1. positive
  2. negative
  3. zero
  1. For the interval from n = 10 to n = 20 , determine if the average rate of change of the temperature is positive, negative, or zero.
  1. positive
  2. negative
  3. zero
  1. For the interval from n = 15 to n = 18 , determine if the average rate of change of the temperature is positive, negative, or zero.
  1. positive
  2. negative
  3. zero
  1. For the interval from n = 20 to n = 24 , determine if the average rate of change of the temperature is positive, negative, or zero.
  1. positive
  2. negative
  3. zero

The graph below shows the total distance, in feet, walked by a person as a function of time, in seconds. Use this information to answer questions 6 - 7.


  1. Given the graph of total distance walked as a function of time, was the person walking faster between 20 and 40 seconds or between 80 and 100 seconds?
  1. Between 80 and 100 seconds
  2. Between 20 and 40 seconds
  3. Between 0 and 40 seconds
  1. Was the person walking faster between 0 and 40 seconds or between 40 and 100 seconds, based on the given graph?
  1. Between 40 and 100 seconds
  2. Between 40 and 80 seconds
  3. Between 0 and 40 seconds

For questions 8 - 11, use the following scenario.

The height, in feet, of a squirrel running up and down a tree is a function of time, in seconds.

Match each description with a statement about the average rate of change of the function for that interval.

  1. The squirrel runs up the tree very fast. The average rate of change is -
  1. Large and positive
  2. Small and positive
  3. Zero
  4. Negative
  1. The squirrel starts and ends at the same height. The average rate of change is -
  1. Large and positive
  2. Small and positive
  3. Zero
  4. Negative
  1. The squirrel runs down the tree. The average rate of change is _____.
  1. Large and positive
  2. Small and positive
  3. Zero
  4. Negative
  1. The squirrel runs up the tree slowly. The average rate of change is _____.
  1. Large and positive
  2. Small and positive
  3. Zero
  4. Negative
  1. The percentage of voters ages 18 to 29 who participated in each United States presidential election between the years 1988 and 2016 is shown in the table.
Year 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Percentage of voters ages 18–29 35.7 42.7 33.1 34.5 45.0 48.4 40.9 43.4

The function P gives the percent of voters ages 18 to 29 years old who participated in the election in year t .

Determine the average rate of change for P between 1992 and 2000.

  1. –2.4 percent per year
  2. 0.35 percent per year
  3. –1.025 percent per year
  4. 1.025 percent per year
  1. Some points from a linear function, f ( x ) , are listed in the table below. What is the rate of change of this linear function?
x 0 5 10 15
f ( x ) 4 6 8 10
  1. 6
  2. − 2 5
  3. 2 5
  4. 2
  1. Find the rate of change of the function, g ( x ) , graphed below.

  1. What is the rate of change of the function h ( x ) = 4 x − 7 ?
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/algebra-1/pages/about-this-course

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/algebra-1/pages/about-this-course

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.