Final answer:
A cold front is a boundary where cold air displaces warmer air, causing possible precipitation and a dramatic drop in temperature. Converting a 40.0°F temperature drop to Celsius gives us a 22.2°C decrease. Temperature changes in Fahrenheit are nine-fifths of those in Celsius.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cold front is a boundary between two air masses, one cold and one warm. The cold air pushes under the warmer air, causing the warmer air to rise and can result in stormy weather with possible rainfall or snow. In comparison, a warm front involves warm air advancing and sliding over a mass of retreating cold air, which typically leads to gradual weather changes such as light rain or clouds.
When a cold front causes temperatures to drop by 40.0 Fahrenheit degrees, we can use the relationship between Fahrenheit and Celsius to calculate the change in Celsius. The formula to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius is (Fahrenheit - 32) × 5/9. Conversely, when only dealing with temperature differences rather than specific temperatures, a change in Fahrenheit can be converted to Celsius by multiplying the Fahrenheit change by 5/9. Therefore, a decrease of 40.0°F is equivalent to a decrease of about 22.2°C, since 40 × 5/9 equals 22.2.
The relationship between Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature changes is shown as any change in Fahrenheit degrees is nine-fifths (9/5) the change in Celsius degrees. Therefore, for every 1°C change, there is a 1.8°F (which is 9/5 or 1.8) change in Fahrenheit.