Question

Sally begins hiking at an elevation of 224 feet. Then, she descends 131 feet

and climbs 67 feet higher than her current position. She then descends

163 feet. Write an addition sentence to describe the situation. Then determine

and interpret the sum.

Answer 1

The sum −3 is an indication that Sally is 3 feet below her initial position.

Explanation:

Represent the distances going up (ascend) as positive and distances going down (descend) as negative so that the sum is:

224 + (-131) + 67+ (-163)

Add by using the commutative property:

224 + 67 + (-131) + (-163) = 291

The sum −3 is an indication that Sally is 3 feet below her initial position.