In the given equation $h = 1250 - 25t$, where $h$ represents the height of the elevator in feet, and $t$ represents the time in seconds, let's break down the equation to understand what each term represents:

• 1250 is the initial height of the elevator (the height at $t = 0$, or at the top floor).
• 25 is the rate at which the elevator's height is decreasing per second.

This means that for every additional second $t$, the elevator descends by 25 feet. Therefore, the number 25 represents the rate of change of the elevator's height, or how much the elevator's height decreases for every one second that passes.

Thus, the correct answer is:

The change in the elevator's height for every one additional second.

Would you like further details or explanations?

Here are 5 related questions to expand your understanding:

1. What would happen to the equation if the elevator traveled up instead of down?
2. How long will it take for the elevator to reach the ground floor if the building is 1250 feet tall?
3. What does the term 1250 represent in this context?
4. If the elevator descended at 30 feet per second instead, what would the new equation look like?
5. How would the graph of this equation look like in terms of height versus time?

Tip: When analyzing word problems involving rates, always look for clues related to "per unit of time" to identify changes per second, minute, or hour.