Question

A rock climber ascends 18 3/4 feet to the top of a rock ledge. The climber descends 8 1/4 feet and takes a break on a rock outcrop. Write and evaluate

an addition expression to show how much farther the rock climber must descend to reach the original level.

Answer 1

The rock climber must descend an additional 10 1/2 feet to reach the original level after ascending 18 3/4 feet and descending 8 1/4 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking how much farther the rock climber must descend to reach the original level after having ascended 18 3/4 feet and having already descended 8 1/4 feet. To find this, we need to subtract the distance already descended from the total ascent.

Firstly, convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions:
18 3/4 feet = 75/4 feet
8 1/4 feet = 33/4 feet

Now subtract the descent from the ascent:
75/4 feet - 33/4 feet = 42/4 feet

Finally, convert back to a mixed number:
42/4 feet = 10 1/2 feet

The rock climber must descend an additional 10 1/2 feet to return to the original level.