Solve the following word problem. The air temperature at 9 a.m. is −5.8

Question

degrees Celsius. The air temperature at noon is −1.6
degrees Celsius. What is the change in the temperature during these three hours? Write and solve an equation to show your answer. Then explain what your answer means.(4 points)

Answer 1

To find the change in temperature from 9 a.m. to noon, we need to subtract the temperature at 9 a.m. from the temperature at noon.

Let $T_{9am}=-{5.8}^{\circ }C$ (temperature at 9 a.m.)
Let $T_{noon}=-{1.6}^{\circ }C$ (temperature at noon)

The change in temperature ($\mathrm{\Delta }T$) can be calculated using the following equation:

$$\mathrm{\Delta }T=T_{noon}-T_{9am}$$

Substituting the values:

$$\mathrm{\Delta }T=-1.6-(-5.8)$$

This simplifies to:

$$\mathrm{\Delta }T=-1.6+5.8$$

Now performing the addition:

$$\mathrm{\Delta }T=4.2$$

So, the change in temperature during these three hours is ${4.2}^{\circ }C$.

Explanation of the Answer

The positive result of ${4.2}^{\circ }C$ indicates that the temperature increased. Specifically, the air temperature rose from $-{5.8}^{\circ }C$ at 9 a.m. to $-{1.6}^{\circ }C$ at noon. This change signifies a warming trend in the temperature over the three-hour period.