Billy was standing on a diving board that was 4 feet above the water. He dove into the pool which was 8 feet deep and touched the bottom. Which statement accurately describes this situation?

Question

A
.

If 0 represents the height of the diving board, then +4 represents the water level and –8 represents the bottom of the pool.
B.

If +4 represents the height of the diving board, then 0 represents the water level and –8 represents the bottom of the pool.
C.

If 0 represents the height of the diving board, then 4 represents the water level and 8 represents the bottom of the pool.
D.

If +8 represents the height of the diving board, then 0 represents the water level and –4 represents the bottom of the pool.

Answer 1

To accurately describe the given situation, we need to establish a reference point for the heights involved.

• The diving board is 4 feet above the water level, meaning if we set the water level at 0, then the height of the diving board is at +4 feet.
• The pool is 8 feet deep, meaning the bottom of the pool is 8 feet below the water level, which would be represented as -8 feet.

Now let's assess each statement:

A. If 0 represents the height of the diving board, then +4 represents the water level and –8 represents the bottom of the pool.

• This statement is incorrect because it misplaces the heights.

B. If +4 represents the height of the diving board, then 0 represents the water level and –8 represents the bottom of the pool.

• This statement is correct because it accurately relates the diving board at +4 feet to the water level at 0 feet and the bottom of the pool at -8 feet.

C. If 0 represents the height of the diving board, then 4 represents the water level and 8 represents the bottom of the pool.

• This statement is incorrect because it also misplaces the heights.

D. If +8 represents the height of the diving board, then 0 represents the water level and –4 represents the bottom of the pool.

• This statement is incorrect because the numerical values do not correspond to the actual heights.

Based on this analysis, the correct statement is B: If +4 represents the height of the diving board, then 0 represents the water level and –8 represents the bottom of the pool.