Question

Rick is walking up a hill at 129 ¾ feet above sea level when he kicks a pebble. If the pebble falls to the base of the hill, which is 19.5 feet below sea level, what is the vertical distance that the pebble fell?

Answer 1

To find the vertical distance the pebble fell, add Rick's elevation of 129.75 feet above sea level to the base of the hill's elevation of 19.5 feet below sea level, resulting in a total vertical distance of 149.25 feet that the pebble fell.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking for the vertical distance a pebble has fallen which Rick kicks while walking up a hill. To find this distance, we subtract the elevation of the base of the hill from Rick's elevation when he kicked the pebble.

Starting elevation: 129 ¾ feet above sea level
Ending elevation: 19.5 feet below sea level

We convert ¾ to a decimal to make it easier to calculate: 129.75 feet above sea level.
To find the distance fallen, we add both elevations because they are on opposite sides of sea level: 129.75 + 19.5 = 149.25 feet.

The vertical distance that the pebble fell is 149.25 feet.