Question

A. What is the difference in height between 30 m up a cliff and 87 m up a cliff? What is the distance between these positions?

b. What is the difference in height between an albatross flying at 100 m above the surface of the ocean and a shark swimming 30 m below the surface? What is the distance between them if the shark is right below the albatross?

Answer 1

A. 57m B. 130m

Explanation:

For problem A:

87m up a cliff - 30m up a cliff = 57m up a cliff

These are all positive values

For problem B:

100m above is talking about a positive value, making this a positive number

30m below is talking about a negative value, making this number -30

0 meters represents the surface

As you can see, this is forming a number line as of which

below the surface------------------------0m-------------------------above the surface

by substitution,

-30-----------------------------------------------0-------------------------------100

therefore, 100 - -30 = 130 meters