Final answer:
To find the temperature of the solution after 3 hours, use the initial temperature of -14.96°C and subtract the product of the hourly decrease (2.9°C) and the number of hours (3), resulting in a final temperature of -23.66°C.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the temperature of the chemical solution after 3 hours, we start with the initial temperature and apply the hourly temperature decrease. The initial temperature is -14.96°C. Since the temperature decreases by 2.9°C each hour, we multiply this decrease by the number of hours, which is 3 in this case. The expression to calculate the temperature after 3 hours is therefore:
Temperature after 3 hours = Initial temperature - (Hourly decrease × Number of hours)
Plugging in the given values, we get:
Temperature after 3 hours = (-14.96°C) - (2.9°C × 3)
This results in:
Temperature after 3 hours = -14.96°C - 8.7°C
Temperature after 3 hours = -23.66°C
The temperature of the solution after 3 hours will be -23.66°C.