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TWICE AS WARM RIDDLE

METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY

Riddle: If the weathercaster says it will be 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the high temperature today and tomorrow it is suppose to be twice as warm as it was today then what will be the high temperature tomorrow in degrees Fahrenheit?






Answer to Riddle: Doubling a temperature only has meaning when using an absolute temperature scale where the scale starts at 0. The temperature scale that is needed is the Kelvin temperature scale. First we need to convert 40 F to a Kelvin temperature. 40 F = 4.4 C = 277.5 K. Doubling this temperature will be 277.5 * 2 = 555 K. Now convert 555 K to F. 555 K = 282 C = 540 F. Another way of solving the riddle is by knowing -460 is the coldest possible temperature on the Fahrenheit temperature scale. There are 500 units of Fahrenheit from -460 F to +40 F. Adding 500 more units to +40 (doubling temperature) yields 540 F. This temperature is extremely hot and is not realistic for a surface air temperature but it is the temperature that would result from doubling the temperature.