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.
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