Question

While speaking on the phone to a friend in Oslo, Norway, you learned that the current temperature there was −23° Celsius (−23° C). After the phone conversation, you wanted to convert this temperature to Fahrenheit degrees °F, but you could not find a reference with the correct formulas. You then remembered that the relationship between °F and °C is linear. Using this and the knowledge that 32° F = 0°C and 212°F = 100°C, find an equation that computes Celsius temperature in terms of Fahrenheit temperature; i.e., an equation of the form C="an expression involving only the variable F. A) C = (5/9)(F - 32)

B) C = (9/5)(F - 32)

C) C = (5/9)(F + 32)

D) C = (9/5)(F + 32)

Answer 1

The equation to compute Celsius temperature from Fahrenheit temperature, using the linear relationship and known points, is C = (5/9)(F - 32), which corresponds to option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find an equation that computes Celsius temperature (C) in terms of Fahrenheit temperature (F), we can use two known points: 32° F = 0°C and 212°F = 100°C. These points tell us the slope of the line that relates Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures. The slope is ΔC/ΔF = (100°C - 0°C) / (212°F - 32°F) = 100/180 = 5/9. Using the point-slope form, we can then form the equation:

C = (5/9)(F - 32)

This equation matches option A, which shows that the Celsius temperature is equal to five-ninths of the Fahrenheit temperature minus 32. This is how you convert Fahrenheit to Celsius.