Question

Suppose there is a 1.2°F drop in temperature for every thousand feet that an airplane climbs into the sky. If the temperature on the ground is 64.9°F, what will be the temperature when the plane reaches an altitude of 5000 ft?

A) 58.9°F
B) 63.9°F
C) 59.9°F
D) 54.9°F

Answer 1

To calculate the temperature at an altitude of 5000 ft, multiply the rate of decrease (1.2°F per 1000 ft) by the altitude in thousands of feet (5), resulting in a decrease of 6°F. Subtract this from the ground temperature of 64.9°F to get the final temperature of 58.9°F, which corresponds to answer A.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the temperature at an altitude of 5000 ft when there is a known drop of 1.2°F per thousand feet, we apply a simple mathematical calculation. Starting with the ground temperature of 64.9°F, we can calculate the temperature decrease over the 5000 ft climb by multiplying the rate of temperature drop per thousand feet by the number of thousands of feet:

Temperature drop = 1.2°F/1000 ft × 5000 ft

Temperature drop = 6°F

Next, we subtract this value from the ground temperature to find the temperature at 5000 ft:

Temperature at 5000 ft = Ground temperature - Temperature drop

Temperature at 5000 ft = 64.9°F - 6°F

Temperature at 5000 ft = 58.9°F

Therefore, the correct answer is A) 58.9°F.