Question

The beginning of a hiking trail is exactly at sea level. There are three rest stops along the trail:

• The elevation of the first rest stop is -10 feet.
• The elevation of the second rest stop is -15 feet.
• The elevation of the third rest stop is 12 feet.
Jack compares the elevations, in feet, of the first two rest stops by writing the inequality -10 < -15. Jack states that the inequality he wrote is correct because 10 is less than 15. The change in elevation is greatest between the beginning of the trail and which rest stop? Explain your reasoning.

A. The first rest stop
B. The second rest stop
C. The third rest stop
D. The change in elevation is the same at each stop

Answer 1

The change in elevation is greatest between the beginning of the trail and the second rest stop.

Step-by-step explanation:

The change in elevation is greatest between the beginning of the trail and the second rest stop.

To determine this, we need to compare each pair of elevations. The elevation of the first rest stop is -10 feet, and the elevation of the second rest stop is -15 feet. So, the change in elevation between the beginning and the second rest stop is -15 - (-10) = -5 feet.

In comparison, the change in elevation between the beginning and the first rest stop is -10 - 0 = -10 feet, and the change in elevation between the beginning and the third rest stop is 12 - 0 = 12 feet.

Therefore, the greatest change in elevation is between the beginning of the trail and the second rest stop.