Question

A deep sea driver descended from a rock with an elevation of -45.5 feet to a coral reef with an elevation of -88.5 feet. How far did the diver descend from the rock to the coral

Answer 1

43 feet

Explanation:

How far is referring to the distance between the two numbers given.

In general, the distance between two numbers, a and b,

is given by |b-a| .

You have that you are finding the distance between -45.5 ft and -88.5 ft.

So the distance between those numbers is given by:

|-45.5-(-88.5)|

|-45.5+88.5|

|88.5-45.5|

|43.0|

|43|

43 (Since the number inside the | | has a distance of 43 from 0)

The distance between -45.5 ft and -88.5 ft is 43 ft.