Question

A bird flies from the bottom of a canyon that is 72 1/2 feet below sea level to a nest that is 719 2/5 feet above sea level. What is the difference in elevation between the bottom of the canyon and the​ bird's nest?

Answer 1

The difference in elevation between the bottom of the canyon and the bird's nest is the sum of the depths, which is:

72 1/2 + 719 2/5

To add these two mixed numbers, we first convert them to improper fractions:

72 1/2 = 145/2

719 2/5 = (3595/5) + (2/5) = 3597/5

Now we can add them:

145/2 + 3597/5

To add fractions with different denominators, we need to find a common denominator. The smallest common multiple of 2 and 5 is 10, so we can rewrite the fractions with a denominator of 10:

145/2 × 5/5 = 725/10

3597/5 × 2/2 = 7194/10

Now we can add the fractions:

725/10 + 7194/10 = 7929/10

Finally, we can simplify the fraction and convert it back to a mixed number:

7929/10 = 792 9/10

Therefore, the difference in elevation between the bottom of the canyon and the bird's nest is 792 9/10 feet.