Question

An outdoor thermometer reads -11 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature decreases less than 5 degrees Fahrenheit over the next two hours, what might the thermometer read at the end of the two hours?

Answer 1

@phi

Answer 2

There are lots of possibilities.

Answer 3

If it decreases exactly 5 degrees ( which means gets 5 degrees colder) it would be -11-5= -16 degrees (16 degrees below 0)

any number above that could happen

Answer 4

What I am confused with is when it says "decreases less than 5 degrees Fahrenheit over the next two hours". What does that mean?

Answer 5

\[x \ge-16~but <-11\]

Answer 6

decreases means colder. If you have 35º and it decreases 5º, it would go to 35-5= 30

if it decreases less than 5º that means it decreases (gets colder) but it does get 5 degrees colder. less than 5 means any number "less than 5" (example 4.9 or 4 or 3.1 etc)

Answer 7

mentioning "over 2 hours" does not mean much except to confuse the problem.

Answer 8

Same dilemma.

Answer 9

As for the answer, it depends on what they are looking for. surji thinks they want a relation (good answer). or they might want you to select an answer from a list of choices?

Answer 10

@phi But there isn't any options on this problem.

Answer 11

@surjithayer Can you explain your method for me?

Answer 12

then use surji's answer. It is the most accurate.

Answer 13

though I would write it
-16 < x < -11

Answer 14

How would I solve for x?

Answer 15

You don't solve for x. If we call the temperature x, the answer to the question of
what might the thermometer read at the end of the two hours?
i.e. what is x at the end of two hours?

all we can say is
-16< x < -11
assuming the temperature *decreases* by some amount more than 0 but less than 5 degrees

Answer 16

in other words
-16< x < -11
is a way to say, " the temperature will be between -16 and -11 degrees"

Answer 17

How should I write the answer to the questions?

Answer 18

can you post the exact question? Unless I know otherwise, I would answer it the way I just answered it.

Answer 19

I wrote it. This was the question @phi

Answer 20

and what is the point of the question? It could be written more clearly. Vague questions get vague answers.

Answer 21

@agent0smith

Answer 22

This has already been answered...

Answer 23

So where was the answer?

Answer 24

Was the answer -16?

Answer 25

-16< x < -11

or pick any number in that range.

"what might the thermometer read?" it might read -13.

Answer 26

I have another question: can i write it as -15, -14, -13, and -12 might be the possible temperatures after two hours @agent0smith

Answer 27

@phi

Answer 28

there are infinite values between -16 and -11

Answer 29

Depends if the thermometer shows only whole numbers

Answer 30

If you say the thermometer is DIGITAL and only shows integer degrees. But some thermometers show a red line of mercury and you read the height of the line (which in theory could read any number)

Answer 31

can those four numbers be valid even in this case of the thermometer?

Answer 32

The other problem is
"If the temperature decreases less than 5 degrees Fahrenheit "
is not clear. decreases less than 5 could mean it decreases 0 degrees... and one could argue it could mean the temperature actually warmed.

Vague is bad.

Answer 33

**can those four numbers be valid even in this case of the thermometer? **
yes, they are valid. But they are not the only valid numbers it could read.

Answer 34

Your question is bad and you should feel bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG2KMkQLZmI

Answer 35

well i was not the one who made this question. it was assigned for hw.

Answer 36

just watch the video :P

Answer 37

i saw