Final answer:
To calculate the distance between the pelican and the dolphin, add the pelican's altitude of 91 meters to the absolute value of the dolphin's depth of -48 meters, resulting in a total distance of 139 meters.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the distance between the pelican and the dolphin, we need to add the pelican's altitude above sea level to the absolute value of the dolphin's depth below sea level. The pelican is flying at an altitude of 91 meters while the dolphin is swimming at a depth of -48 meters relative to the surface of the ocean. Since depth below the surface is considered negative, we take the absolute of the dolphin's depth to make it positive.
The equation to calculate the total distance (D) between the pelican and the dolphin would be:
D = altitude of pelican + |depth of dolphin|
D = 91 m + |-48 m|
D = 91 m + 48 m
D = 139 meters
Therefore, the pelican and the dolphin are 139 meters apart.