Question

The function f(t) = 198.6 - x , represents a person's variance from normal body temperature, where x represents a person's current body temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Medical professionals say healthy individuals should have a variance of no more than 0.5°F.

A: What can be said of an individual with a body temperature of 99.4°F Justify your answer.

Answer 1

An individual with a body temperature of 99.4°F has a variance of 0.6°F, which is slightly higher than the healthy variance limit of 0.5°F, potentially indicating a medical condition such as a fever.

Step-by-step explanation:

The function f(t) = 198.6 - x represents a person's variance from the normal body temperature, where the normal body temperature is understood to be 98.6°F. To determine whether an individual with a body temperature of 99.4°F is within the healthy variance, we substitute x with 99.4 in the function:

f(t) = 198.6 - 99.4 = 99.2°F

This calculation gives us a variance of 0.6°F, which exceeds the recommended healthy variance of 0.5°F. Therefore, a person with a body temperature of 99.4°F is considered to have a variance that is slightly above the healthy threshold and could potentially be displaying early signs of a fever or other medical condition that warrants further monitoring or medical attention.