A scientist was in a submarine below sea level, studying ocean life. Over the next ten minutes, she rose 24.2 feet. How many feet had she been below sea level, if she was 0.5 feet below sea level after she rose?

She was initially at a depth of 24.7 feet before she rose

Step-by-step explanation:

To get her initial depth, we need to understand how many feet she sank and rose.

Let us say she was initially at a depth which we can call  = x feet.

After 10 minutes she rose for 24.2 feet.

This means her new depth will be x - 24.2 ft.

We are also told that this new depth is actually 0.5 feet below sea level.

This means

x - 24.2 = 0.5

Now that we have this equation we can simply make x the subject of the formula and solve for x

x = 24.2 + 0.5 = 24.7

She was initially at a depth of 24.7 feet before she rose