Question

The highest point measured above sea level is the summit of Mt. Everest which is 8,848m above sea level and the lowest point is Challenger Deep at the bottom of Mariana Trench which is 10911m below sea level. What is the vertical distance between these two points?

Answer 1

Hint: We solve this question by using the sea level as reference which is taken to be 0m. Then we take the height of the summit of Mt. Everest which is given as 8848m above sea level and adds it with the depth of the Challenger deep at the bottom of the Mariana Trench given as 10911m. We add this since one is above the reference point of 0m and the other is below the reference point.

Complete step by step solution:
In order to solve this question, let us note down the data given. Before that, let us assume the sea level to be the reference point which is at a height of 0m. Now, it is given that the highest point measured above sea level is the summit of Mt. Everest which is given by,
$\Rightarrow \text{Height of summit of Mt}\text{. Everest = 8848m}$
Next, it is given that the lowest point is Challenger Deep at the bottom of Mariana Trench which is given by,
$\Rightarrow \text{Depth of Challenger deep = 10911m}$
Since the height is taken above the sea level and the depth is taken below the sea level, the vertical distance between the two will be the sum of the two heights and not the difference.
Adding the two heights, we get the vertical distance between the two as follows,
$\Rightarrow \text{Vertical distance between the two =8848+10911}$
Adding the two numbers,
$\Rightarrow \text{Vertical distance between the two =19759m}$

Hence, the vertical distance between the summit of Mt. Everest and the lowest point at Challenger Deep at the bottom of Mariana Trench is found to be 19759m.

Note:
We need to know the basics of calculating distance between two points. It is important to note that the distances are added in this case since one is above sea level and one is below sea level. If the two heights were on the same side of the reference point which is the sea level, then the distances are subtracted.