Question

4 Flying Home A bird flies from the bottom of a canyon that is 70 5 feet below sea level to a nest 7 that is 652 feet above sea level. What is the difference in elevation between the bottom of the 10 canyon and the bird's nest? feet. The difference between the elevation of the canyon and the bird's nest is (Simplify your answer. Type an integer, proper fraction, or mixed number.)

Answer 1

Consider the following picture

We are told that the nest is 652 7/10 feet above sea leavel. This means that the distance from the nest to the sea level reference is 652 7/10 feet. Also, we are told that the bird is at first at the bottom of the canyon 70 4/5 feet below the sea level. This means that the distance from the bottom of the canyon to the sea level reference is 70 4/5.

We are asked to find the difference in elevation from the nest to the bottom of the canyon. This is equivalent to find the distance from the nest to the bottom of the canyon. From the picture we can see that the distance from the nest to the bottom of the canyon is the same as adding up the distance from the nest to the sea level and the distance from the sea level to the bottom of the canyon. Since, both numbers are mixed numbers, first, we add together the whole parts (652 and 70). So we get

`652+70\text{ = }722`

Now, we can add the fractions together.

`(4)/(5)+(7)/(10)\text{ = }(8)/(10)+(7)/(10)=(15)/(10)`

Note that since 15 is greater than 10, this number is greater than 1. So we split it as follows:

`(15)/(10)=(10)/(10)+(5)/(10)=1+(5)/(10)=1+(1)/(2)`

So, to the previous answer we add 1 to 722 and leave the fraction as it is, so we form the following mixed fraction

`723(1)/(2)`