A hot air balloon leaves the ground and rises to an elevation of 1,100 feet. During the next 30 minutes, it descends 500 feet, rises 950 feet, descends 375 feet, and finally passes over a school. What is the elevation of the balloon when it passes over the school?

Question

A.

1,025 feet

B.

1,100 feet

C.

1,175 feet

D.

1,550 feet

Answer 1

To find the elevation of the hot air balloon when it passes over the school, we can start from the initial elevation and apply the changes in elevation step by step.

1. The balloon starts at an elevation of 1,100 feet.
2. It descends 500 feet: \[ 1,100 - 500 = 600 \text{ feet} \]
3. It then rises 950 feet: \[ 600 + 950 = 1,550 \text{ feet} \]
4. After that, it descends 375 feet: \[ 1,550 - 375 = 1,175 \text{ feet} \]

So, when the balloon passes over the school, its elevation is 1,175 feet.

The answer is C. 1,175 feet.