To find the distance between the elevations of the bridge and the lowest point the rock reaches after sinking in the lake, we can consider the following:
- The height of the bridge above the river's surface is 124 feet. Let's represent this point as \( 124 \).
- The rock sinks 81 feet below the river's surface. So, the elevation of the rock below the river surface can be calculated as: \[ 0 - 81 = -81 \text{ feet} \] where 0 represents the elevation of the water's surface.
Now we need to find the difference between the height of the bridge and the lowest point of the rock. We can calculate this as: \[ \text{Distance} = \text{Height of the bridge} - \text{Depth of the rock} \] \[ \text{Distance} = 124 - (-81) \] Since subtracting a negative number is the same as adding, we can rewrite this as: \[ \text{Distance} = 124 + 81 = 205 \text{ feet} \]
Therefore, the distance between the elevations is 205 feet.