To find the change in temperature from 9 a.m. to noon, we can set up an equation to represent this change.
Let \( T_1 \) be the temperature at 9 a.m. and \( T_2 \) be the temperature at noon. We can express this as follows:
- \( T_1 = -5.8 \) degrees Celsius (temperature at 9 a.m.)
- \( T_2 = -1.6 \) degrees Celsius (temperature at noon)
The change in temperature, \( \Delta T \), can be calculated using the equation:
\[ \Delta T = T_2 - T_1 \]
Substituting the values:
\[ \Delta T = -1.6 - (-5.8) \]
This simplifies to:
\[ \Delta T = -1.6 + 5.8 \]
Now, we perform the addition:
\[ \Delta T = 4.2 \]
Therefore, the change in temperature during these three hours is \( 4.2 \) degrees Celsius.
Explanation of the answer:
The positive change of \( 4.2 \) degrees Celsius indicates that the temperature increased by \( 4.2 \) degrees between 9 a.m. and noon. This means that the air became warmer over this period, moving from a relatively cold temperature of -5.8 degrees Celsius to a less cold temperature of -1.6 degrees Celsius.