Question

1. a submarine is at sea level and starts descending at a rate of 40 feet per minute. solve (-40)(20). interpret your answer.

Explanation:

Step1: Multiply the two numbers

To solve \((-40)(20)\), we use the rule of multiplying a negative number and a positive number. The product of a negative and a positive is negative, and we multiply the absolute values. So, \(|-40| = 40\) and \(|20| = 20\), then \(40\times20 = 800\). Since one number is negative, the result is \(-800\).
\[
(-40)(20)=-800
\]

Step2: Interpret the result

The submarine is descending at a rate of 40 feet per minute (represented by \(-40\) because it's a downward direction, a negative change in height). We multiply this rate by 20 minutes. The result \(-800\) means that after 20 minutes, the submarine is 800 feet below sea level (the negative sign indicates the direction is downward from sea level).

Answer:

The value of \((-40)(20)\) is \(-800\). This means the submarine is 800 feet below sea level after 20 minutes of descending at 40 feet per minute.