A hot air balloon pilot raises a balloon 200 m from the ground, turns off the burner, and allows the balloon to descend 60 m before turning the burner on again to raise it another 170 m.

a. Use positive and negative values to represent each stage of the balloon’s flight path.
b. Use absolute values to determine the total vertical distance travelled by the balloon.

2 answers

height = 200 - 60 + 170 = 370 - 60 = 310
distance moved = |200| + |-60| + |170| = 200+60+170 = 430
Height has magnitude AND DIRECTION (up if +, down if -)
It is a VECTOR
distance has only magnitude. It has no direction. We call it a SCALAR.
Use dictionary for those.