Question

A bird is flying `13 7/10` feet above sea level and a fish is swimming `16 1/5` feet below sea level. Which is further from sea level?

Answer 1

Distance of bird from sea level= `137/10` =13.7 ft. And,

Distance of fish from sea level= `162/10` = 16.2 ft.

Hence, the fish is farthest from sea level.

Explanation:

Given that:
A bird flies 13 7/10 feet above sea level. = `13 7/10` ft.

A fish swims 16 1/5 feet below sea level. =`16 1/5` ft.

To find: Which is farthest from sea level.

We convert the mixed fractions into improper fractions and then compare:

The bird flies above sea level. = `13 7/10` ft.

= `(13\times 10 +7)/10` ft.

Distance of bird from sea level= `137/10` ft.
and

The fish swims below sea level. =`16 1/5` ft.

= `(16\times 5 +1)/5` ft.

Distance of fish from sea level= `81/5` ft. ----equation (2)

To compare the two quantities, their denominators must be same , so we will multiply and divide equation (2) by 2:

Distance of fish from sea level= `81/5 (2/2)` ft. = `162/ 10` ft.

Now comparing`137/10`and `162/10`, we find that , as the larger fraction is one with grater numerator,

`162/10 > 137/10`.

Hence, the fish is farthest from the sea level.

Answer 2

The fish is further from sea level.

Explanation:

You only need to look at the whole numbers to compare the distances from sea level.

`16 >13` therefore the fraction involving `16` is further from sea level than the fraction with `13`