The air temperature at 9:00 am is -4.3 degrees Celsius. The air temperature at noon is -1.2 degrees Celsius. What is the change in the temperature during these three hours? Which equation would you use to solve this problem>?

Question

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-4.3 - 1.2 = -5.5 , |-5.5| = 5.5
-4.3 - (-1.2) = -3.1 , |-3.1| = 3.1
1.2 + 4.3 = 5.5 , |5.5| = -5.5
-4.3 + (-1.2) = -5.5 , |-5.5| = 5.5

Answer 1

To find the change in temperature during the three hours from 9:00 am to noon, you would subtract the initial temperature at 9:00 am from the final temperature at noon.

The correct equation to use is:

\[ \text{Change in Temperature} = \text{Final Temperature} - \text{Initial Temperature} \]

In this case:

\[ \text{Change in Temperature} = -1.2 - (-4.3) \]

This simplifies to:

\[ \text{Change in Temperature} = -1.2 + 4.3 = 3.1 \]

The absolute value of the change in temperature is:

\[ |3.1| = 3.1 \]

Thus, the correct interpretation is that the temperature increased by 3.1 degrees Celsius over the three hours.

The options you provided indicate that the second equation corresponds to this calculation:

-4.3 - (-1.2) = -3.1 , |-3.1| = 3.1

However, please note that the correct calculation should have the final temperature first:

\[ -1.2 - (-4.3) = 3.1 \]

So, the change is correctly calculated as an increase of +3.1 degrees Celsius.