In an experiment, a heated cup of coffee is removed from a heat source and then allowed to cool in a room at a constant temperature. The x-axis represents the time since the cup was removed from the heat source (minutes), and the y-axis represents the temperature (°F). The scatter plot shows the temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit (), of the coffee immediately after removal and at 10-minute intervals thereafter. Which of the following statements best describes the rate at which the coffee's temperature decreases over time, based on the scatter plot?
The temperature decreases at a constant rate throughout the cooling process.
The temperature decreases at an increasing rate over time.
The temperature decreases rapidly at first, then more slowly over time.
The temperature decrease stops completely after 140 minutes.
