Question

write 2 equations: one for relative distance and one for absolute value. Car drives 3 miles east, 5 miles west and 13 miles east again. How do I compute relative and total distance?

Answer 1

total distance is adding up all the miles the car traveled in all directions

so relative distance is the straight line distance from where you started to where you stopped (or the phrase, 'as the crow flies')

Answer 2

how do I write an equation ? is total miles= to 3 + 5 +13 and absolute is 2 + 13

Answer 3

total miles= to 3 + 5 +13 is right, yes

for absolute, lets pretend that going east (or to the right) is a positive number, and going west (or left) is a negative number, the travel path would look like this in an equation:

east 3m, west 5m, east 13m= absolute distance
+3-5+13 = absolute distance

Answer 4

11 (?) miles for relative distance?? But how do I show this in an equation.

Answer 5

yes, correct
to show it in an equation, do it like this:
relative distance = +3miles -5miles +13miles

Answer 6

I have to go now though,
good job!