Question

The position of a large fish relative to the water surface was −17 1/3 feet. It suddenly dove straight down and increased its depth by 6 1/2 feet. What is the position of the fish now relative to the water surface? Enter your answer as a mixed number, in simplified form, in the box.

Answer 1

So let’s imagine this on a number line…so we know that the fish starts at -17 1/3 on the number line but he dives (that means go lower in our number line) 6 1/2 feet downward so let’s set up an equation:

-17 1/3 - 6 1/2
Now, let’s subtract the two integers by finding the least common denominator of 2 and 3 so it can be easier to solve in this case it’s 6…then let’s set up our new equation:

-17 2/6 - 6 3/6
We know it’s a negative number since we are subtracting a negative number and our final answer is -23 5/6