Question

during the drought, the top of the church was 28 feet above water level. the bottom of the church was 20 feet below water level. how many feet tall is the church? write an expression for the distance between the churchs highest and lowest points. use a negative number for feet below water level.

Explanation:

Step1: Identify positions

Top: \( 28 \) (above water, positive), Bottom: \( -20 \) (below water, negative).

Step2: Distance formula

Distance between two points \( a \) and \( b \) is \( |a - b| \). Here, \( a = 28 \), \( b = -20 \), so expression is \( |28 - (-20)| \).

Answer:

\( |28 - (-20)| \) (The first box is 28, the second box is -20)