Question

At the beginning of the summer, the water level of a pond is 2 feet below its normal level. After an unusually dry summer, the water level of the pond dropped another 1 1/3 feet. Write an equation to show how far above or below the normal water level the pond is at the end of the summer.

Answer 1

x - ( 2 + 1 1/3)

=x- 3 1/3

- 3 1/3 feet

The water level of a pond falls 3 1/3 feet below its normal level.

Explanation:

The water level of a pond is 2 feet below its normal level.

The water level of the pond dropped another 1 1/3 feet.

So the total level dropped is 2 + 1 1/3

= 2 + 4/3

= 6+4/3= 10/3 = 3 1/3 feet below the normal.

Suppose the normal is at zero then the level of the pond is at the end of the summer is 0 - 3 1/3 = - 3 1/3 feet.

If we represent the normal by x then the equation becomes

x- 3 1/3 feet to show the water level at the end of summer.

Or it can also be written as

x - ( 2 + 1 1/3)