Question

The lowest airport in the world is Atyrau Airport in Kazakhstan at 72 feet below sea level. How would we represent this elevation using negative numbers? 6.NS.5

Answer 1

ANSWER

-72 ft

EXPLANATION

We can draw a number line:

If the 0 of the number line is sea level, we would normally say that all positive numbers are those that are above sea level and negative numbers those that are below sea level.

Therefore, to represent an elevation that is below sea level, we'd write it as a negative number: -72 ft