Read this word problem.

A guppy was swimming 8 feet below the surface of the river. It swam down 6 more feet to escape a large, hungry fish. What is the position of the guppy now relative to the surface?

To solve the problem, Jenna subtracted 

8

–

6

 and came up with an answer of 2 feet. Is Jenna correct? Why or why not?

Yes, Jenna is correct.

No. The answer should have been 

–

2

 feet, not 2 feet, because the guppy is below the surface.

No. Jenna should have subtracted 

–

8

–

6 because the guppy started 8 feet below the surface and swam down 6 more feet.Submit

The correct response is:

**No. The answer should have been \(-14\) feet, not 2 feet, because the guppy is below the surface.**

Let's break it down:

1. The guppy was originally 8 feet below the surface, which is represented as \(-8\) feet.
2. The guppy then swam down an additional 6 feet, which means moving further below the surface.

To find the guppy's new position, you should add the two depths:

\[
-8 \text{ feet} + (-6) \text{ feet} = -14 \text{ feet}
\]

Jenna incorrectly subtracted the two numbers, which is why she got the wrong answer. The correct position of the guppy is \(-14\) feet relative to the surface, indicating that it is 14 feet below the surface.

Would you like more details on why this is the correct method or have any other questions?

Here are 8 related questions for further practice:

1. If a submarine is 10 feet below the surface and dives an additional 7 feet, what is its new position?
2. A diver starts at 5 feet below the surface and swims down 12 feet. Where is the diver now relative to the surface?
3. What would be the depth of a fish that starts 3 feet below the surface and swims down 8 feet?
4. If a sea turtle is 15 feet below the surface and rises 9 feet, where is it now?
5. A scuba diver is 20 feet below the surface and descends another 5 feet. What is the diver's final position?
6. What is the position of a diver who starts at 6 feet below the surface and swims up 4 feet?
7. If a shark is 30 feet below the surface and ascends 10 feet, where is the shark now?
8. A guppy is 4 feet below the surface and swims down another 9 feet. What is its new depth?

**Tip:** When dealing with positions below the surface, remember to represent these as negative numbers and consider the direction of movement (up or down) when performing operations.

Explore a math problem involving depth changes using negative numbers. Learn how to calculate the new position of an object relative to the surface. Suitable for students in Grades 3-5.

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