Question

The temperature of a liquid in an experiment changes by -10.4F from the beginning of the experiment to the first check. After making some adjustments, the scientist checks the temperature again later and finds that it is 17.7F, which is 1/3 what it was at the time of the first check. What was the initial temperature of the liquid?

Answer 1

63.5F

Explanation:

Let x represent the temperature at the start of the experiment. Then the temperature at first check is (x -10.4F). The temperature at the second check is 1/3 that value, and is said to be 17.7F. This lets us write the equation ...

1/3(x -10.4F) = 17.7F

Multiplying by 3 gives ...

x -10.4F = 53.1F

x = 63.5F . . . . . . add 10.4F

The initial temperature of the liquid was 63.5F.

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Additional comment

Temperature is measured on an "interval scale." On such a scale, the value 0 is located arbitrarily. Concepts such as "1/3 of the temperature" have no meaning on such a scale. Here, we have to ignore that fact and assume the problem is about the numbers, not about any real temperature relationship in thermodynamic terms.