Higher Summit: Kilauea Summit Closer to Sea Level: Loihi
Practice makes perfect
We know that the summit elevation of Kilauea is 1277 meters and that the summit elevation of Loihi is - 969 meters. We want to determine which summit is higher and which summit is closer to sea level, 0 meters. Let's start by drawing the volcanoes on the number line!
On our diagram, Kilauea's summit is above sea level, while Loihi's summit is below sea level. We can compare the elevations by calculating their absolute values. Let's start by recalling some facts about the absolute value.
The absolute value of a number is its distance from 0 on the number line.
Since distance is always greater than or equal to 0, the absolute value of any number is greater than or equal to 0.
The absolute value of a non-negative number is equal to the number, while the absolute value of a negative number is equal to its opposite.
We can consider the distances between different numbers and 0 on the number line.
Let's now calculate the distances between both summits and sea level.
Kilauea's Distance: |1277|= 1277
Loihi's Distance: |- 969|= 969
We know that a volcano's summit elevation is the distance of the top of the volcano relative to sea level. Let's compare the distances!
1277 > 969 ⇔ |1277| > |- 969|
Notice that Kilauea's summit is farther from sea level. This means that Kilauea's summit is higher than Loihi's summit. We also know that the Loihi's summit is 969 meters from sea level. This distance is less than the distance between Kilauea's summit and sea level. Therefore, Loihi's summit is closer to sea level.
