Question

A pelican dives from a height of 28 feet above the water's surface and reaches a depth of 5.5 feet below the water's surface. Which equation can you use to find the total distance d (in feet) that the pelican dropped? And how many feet did the pelican drop?

Answer 1

To find the total distance the pelican dropped, add the height above the water's surface to the depth reached below. Using the equation d = 28 ft + 5.5 ft, the pelican dropped a total of 33.5 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks for the total distance d that a pelican dropped which is the sum of the height above the water's surface and the depth it reached below. The pelican started from a height of 28 feet above the water and reached 5.5 feet below. To calculate the total distance, we need to add these two distances together. The equation that represents this situation is d = height above water + depth below water. Thus, d = 28 feet + 5.5 feet = 33.5 feet. Therefore, the pelican dropped a total distance of 33.5 feet.