Can you help me because I need to get a A+

Question

The top of the tallest mast of a sail boat is 44 feet above sea level. The boat's anchor is resting on the sea bed 38 feet below sea level. Represent the vertical distance from the top of the mast to the anchor's position, in feet, with a subtraction expression. Solve the subtraction expression and explain how it can be written as an addition expression instead.

Answer 1

Hey there, hopefully this isn't too late for you to get your good grade.

 

So let's say that sea level is our 0 point and anything that's above sea level is positive and below sea level is negative.

 

Now we can write the vertical distance between the top of the mast and the anchor as:

 

X = 44 - (-38)

 

If we solve we find the answer to be 82 feet

 

We can write it as an addition problem if we start at the anchor and go up. This will move our starting point from sea level to the anchor. If we do this then the problem becomes

 

X = 38 + 44

 

Hope that helps