Question

Beginning at sea level, a scuba driver dove 1 2/3 feet into the water, and then went an additional 3 2/5 feet. At what elevation is the scuba driver?

Answer 1

To determine the scuba diver's elevation below sea level, first convert the mixed numbers 1 2/3 and 3 2/5 to improper fractions, find a common denominator, add the fractions, and convert the sum back to a mixed number. The diver is at an elevation of 5 1/15 feet below sea level.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks at what elevation a scuba diver is, given that the diver initially dove 1 2/3 feet into the water from sea level and then went an additional 3 2/5 feet. To find the total depth, we need to add the two depths.

1. Convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions: 1 2/3 becomes 5/3 and 3 2/5 becomes 17/5.
2. Add the fractions: (5/3) + (17/5). To add fractions they must have a common denominator. The least common denominator (LCD) for 3 and 5 is 15. Convert each fraction to have the LCD as the new denominator.
3. Convert 5/3 to be over 15: (5/3) x (5/5) = 25/15. Convert 17/5 to be over 15: (17/5) x (3/3) = 51/15.
4. Now add the two fractions with the common denominator: 25/15 + 51/15 = 76/15.
5. Convert the improper fraction back to a mixed number: 76/15 is 5 with a remainder of 1, so the mixed number is 5 1/15 feet.

Therefore, the scuba diver is at an elevation of 5 1/15 feet below sea level.