Question

The highest point in the United States is Mount McKinley, also called Denali, in Alaska. Its summit is 20,335 feet above sea level. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level. How high is the summit of Denali above the Death Valley location? Show your calculation using absolute value symbols.

Answer 1

Your answer would be 20,617. |-282|+|20,335|

The reason why this is your answer because you start from the Death Valley sea level. (-282). So to get to 20,335 you add +282 to 20,335 since you're below sea level, you have to go up more.