Question

A dolphin starts 24 ft underwater, swims towards the surface, and jumps 6 ft into the air. It lands back in the water, sinking 5 ft, then surfaces and continues swimming. What is the total vertical distance the dolphin traveled? *

Answer 1

The total vertical distance the dolphin traveled is 40 ft, including swimming to the surface, jumping into the air, sinking back down, and resurfacing.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the total vertical distance the dolphin traveled, we need to consider each part of its journey.

The dolphin starts 24 ft underwater.

It swims to the surface, which is 24 ft upward.

Then it jumps 6 ft into the air, above the surface.

After landing back in the water, it sinks 5 ft.

Finally, it swims back to the surface, which is another 5 ft upward.

Now, we need to add these distances together:

Distance swimming up to the surface: 24 ft
Distance jumping into the air: 6 ft
Distance sinking back: 5 ft
Distance swimming back to the surface: 5 ft

The total vertical distance traveled is therefore:
24 ft + 6 ft + 5 ft + 5 ft = 40 ft.

Note that we consider both the distance the dolphin swims upward and the distance it jumps into the air, as well as the sinking part, to calculate the total vertical distance traveled.