Question

A bird flies 20 feet above the water and drops a pebble that sinks down to 15 feet below the surface. How far does the pebble fall? Using a subtraction equation, explain your answer.

Options:
A) 35 feet
B) 5 feet
C) 25 feet
D) 35 feet below the water's surface

Answer 1

The pebble dropped by the bird falls a total distance of 35 feet, which is found by adding the height above water (20 feet) to the depth it sinks below water (15 feet).

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the total distance a pebble falls when dropped by a bird flying 20 feet above water, with the pebble ending up 15 feet below the surface of the water. To find this distance, we use a simple subtraction equation. The total distance the pebble falls is the sum of the distance above the water and the depth below the water:

The pebble falls a total distance of 35 feet.

To find this, we subtract the height the pebble starts from the height it falls to:

20 ft - (-15 ft) = 20 ft + 15 ft = 35 ft

Distance above water + Depth below water = Total distance fallen

20 feet + 15 feet = 35 feet

Therefore, the pebble falls a total distance of 35 feet.