To determine the distance the rock falls, we need to find the difference in elevation between the initial height from which the rock was dropped and the height at which it lands.
-
Initial height: \(2 \frac{1}{4}\) meters
-
Final height: \(-2 \frac{1}{2}\) meters
Step 1: Convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions
- \(2 \frac{1}{4} = \frac{9}{4}\) (because \(2 \times 4 + 1 = 9\))
- \(-2 \frac{1}{2} = -\frac{5}{2}\) (because \(-2 \times 2 - 1 = -5\))
Step 2: Find the distance fallen
The distance fallen can be calculated by finding the difference between the initial and final heights. To do this properly, you calculate the total distance as follows:
\[
\text{Distance} = \text{Initial height} - \text{Final height} = \frac{9}{4} - \left(-\frac{5}{2}\right)
\]
This is the same as adding since subtracting a negative is equivalent to addition.
Step 3: Find a common denominator
The common denominator for \(4\) and \(2\) is \(4\). So we need to convert \(-\frac{5}{2}\) to have a denominator of \(4\):
\[
-\frac{5}{2} = -\frac{5 \times 2}{2 \times 2} = -\frac{10}{4}
\]
Step 4: Add the two fractions
Now we can add:
\[
\text{Distance} = \frac{9}{4} + \frac{10}{4} = \frac{19}{4}
\]
Step 5: Convert back to a mixed number (if needed)
To convert \(\frac{19}{4}\) back to a mixed number:
\[
\frac{19}{4} = 4 \frac{3}{4}
\]
Thus, the distance the rock falls is \(4 \frac{3}{4}\) meters or \(4.75\) meters in decimal.