MHB How Hot is 10 Degrees Celsius Compared to 5 Degrees Celsius?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Monoxdifly
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Cold Hot
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the question of how to calculate a temperature that is four times hotter than -4 degrees Celsius. Participants highlight that multiplying temperatures in Celsius directly can lead to misleading results due to the scale differences, advocating for conversion to Kelvin for accurate calculations. The consensus is that the question is poorly constructed, as it does not yield a valid answer from the provided options. One participant humorously notes that they were misled by their own question, indicating a lack of clarity in the original premise. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the complexities of temperature scaling and the importance of using absolute temperature scales for such calculations.
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Monoxdifly said:
What is 4 times hotter than -4 degrees Celcius?
A. -16 degrees Celcius
B. -1 degrees Celcius
C. 12 degrees Celcius
D. 16 degrees Celcius

What are your thoughts on the question? :)

In general if something is hotter than another, which direction must it move towards?
 
Jameson said:
What are your thoughts on the question? :)

In general if something is hotter than another, which direction must it move towards?

Up. But -4 x 4 is -16, and even if I answer 16, a fourth of it is 4, not -4.
 
I think this question is badly constructed,

If you convert -4 degrees celsius to kelvin units, you'll get ~269.2. Multiplying by 4 then converting back to celsius gives an answer not on the list. However, 4 times a temperature in kelvin is different than 4 times a temperature in a different unit. Each unit has a different scale, so the 4x calculation could drastically differ.

My guess for the intended answer to this bad question would be C, but I'm very curious what the officially response is.
 
Jameson said:
I think this question is badly constructed,

I agree completely. (Nod)

Jameson said:
If you convert -4 degrees celsius to kelvin units, you'll get ~269.2. Multiplying by 4 then converting back to celsius gives an answer not on the list. However, 4 times a temperature in kelvin is different than 4 times a temperature in a different unit. Each unit has a different scale, so the 4x calculation could drastically differ.

My guess for the intended answer to this bad question would be C, but I'm very curious what the officially response is.

I was also inclined to used an absolute scale such as Kelvins (that avoids negative values), but of course that doesn't lead to any of the choices. :D
 
Jameson said:
My guess for the intended answer to this bad question would be C, but I'm very curious what the officially response is.

There's not any official response since it's a question I myself made up. In other words, I've been tricked by my own question.
 

Thread 'Non-orthogonal bases'

Suppose ,instead of the usual x,y coordinate system with an I basis vector along the x -axis and a corresponding j basis vector along the y-axis we instead have a different pair of basis vectors ,call them e and f along their respective axes. I have seen that this is an important subject in maths My question is what physical applications does such a model apply to? I am asking here because I have devoted quite a lot of time in the past to understanding convectors and the dual...
View full post »

Thread 'What Exactly is Dirac’s Delta Function? - Insight'

Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...
View full post »

Similar threads

B Hot white dwarfs and pre-white dwarfs discovered with SALT, MNRAS
Replies
2
Views
2K
What are the Global Impacts of Extreme Heatwaves in 2021?
Replies
42
Views
4K
Help understanding "Heat capacity"
Replies
28
Views
3K
MHB (Seemingly) Random Sequences
Replies
7
Views
2K
How much warmer is 10 degree Celsius than 5 degrees Celsius?
Replies
20
Views
13K
B Are Inverse Problems More Complex Than Direct Problems in Mathematics?
Replies
13
Views
3K
B How hot is the Sun in space? (James Webb related)
Replies
25
Views
4K
How much does 1m^3 oxygen at 10 bar weight at 0 degree celsius?
Replies
1
Views
2K
MHB Adding in Base 20: 1HE1C +JDF0 = 2H7GC
Replies
4
Views
2K
MHB How Can One Demonstrate the Ratio Between the Hypotenuses of Two Triangles?
Replies
2
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top