Converting of Degrees: "In extreme climates, temperature can vary as much as 20..."

[Elena Kolumba]

Converting of Degrees: "In extreme climates, temperature can vary as much as 20..."

"In extreme climates, temperature can vary as much as 20 degrees Celsius in a single day. How much can these climates vary measured in degrees Fahrenheit? (F = (9/5) C + 32)
A) 20 degrees Fahrenheit
B) 36 degrees Fahrenheit
C) 62 degrees Fahrenheit
D) 68 degrees Fahrenheit"
I solved this task a few times, and the only answer I came up with is the "D" answer choice. I just put 20 degrees of Celsius in the place of the letter "C" in the equation in the parenthesis; then, I get the following: "F = 1.8 x 20 + 32 = 68 (degrees of Fahrenheit)." It turned out that the "D" is incorrect; the correct answer choice is the "B" one. What have I done wrong? I can't understand how to solve this task and get 36 degrees but not 68...

 

[mmm4444bot]

… the correct answer choice is …

I know that 36° F is not correct. In the high desert of northern Arizona, the swing between a day's high and low temperatures can easily exceed 50° F.

The answer key must be wrong. You calculated the correct answer.

20° C = 68° F

 

[ksdhart2]

It looks to me like the person who wrote the answer key just forgot to account for the fact that 32F = 0C by adding 32 degrees. (9/5)(20) = 1.8(20) = 36 degrees.

 

[Deleted member 4993]

"In extreme climates, temperature can vary as much as 20 degrees Celsius in a single day. How much can these climates vary measured in degrees Fahrenheit? (F = (9/5) C + 32)
A) 20 degrees Fahrenheit
B) 36 degrees Fahrenheit
C) 62 degrees Fahrenheit
D) 68 degrees Fahrenheit"
I solved this task a few times, and the only answer I came up with is the "D" answer choice. I just put 20 degrees of Celsius in the place of the letter "C" in the equation in the parenthesis; then, I get the following: "F = 1.8 x 20 + 32 = 68 (degrees of Fahrenheit)." It turned out that the "D" is incorrect; the correct answer choice is the "B" one. What have I done wrong? I can't understand how to solve this task and get 36 degrees but not 68...

B is the correct answer.

Here you are looking at the change in temperature - so the 32 (constant) gets subtracted out.

Let us work out an example. Say the daytime temperature was 25 C. So at night the temperature would fall to 5 C.

25 C = 77 F

5 C = 41 F

So the change in temperature is 36 F