Question

Suzi starts her hike at 220 feet below sea level. When she reaches the end of the hike, she is still below sea level at −107 feet. What was the change in elevation from the beginning of Suzi's hike to the end of the hike?

The change was____ feet.

Answer 1

Explanation:

Let sea level be our reference point. Suzi starts at -220 ft and ends up at -107 ft. The change in elevation is represented by x = |-220 ft - (-107 ft)|, or 113 ft.

Answer 2

Answer: 113 feet.

Step-by-step explanation: Even though Suzi was still below sea level at the end of the hike, she still climbed 113 feet higher.

• -220 - (-107) = c
• -220 + 107 = c
• -113 = c

The change will be positive, though, because Suzi was climbing up, not down. Therefore the final answer is 113 feet.