if it is 0 degrees outside, and it gets twice as cold, how cold is it?

Answer 1

it depends - what system are you using? is it 0 degrees fahrenheit, or celcius (or even kelvin)?

if it's 0 degrees celcius, that means it's 32 degrees fahrenheit.
so, twice as cold would be half the temperature, so it would be 16 degrees fahrenheit.

16 degrees fahrenheit is 28.8 celcius.

(temp. celcius = (5/9)*(temp fahrenheit-32))

Answer 2

This is a typical question on an SAT. Of course the people who make up the questions for the SATs don't seem to know anything about temperature.

For this problem the correct approach would be to convert your initial temperature into an absoute temperature scale. For example, 0 degrees Celsius is 273 deg Kelvin.

Then let's "define twice as cold" as meaning "half the kinetic energy".

in that case your "twice as cold" would be half of 273

Answer 3

There is a problem in your question. It is impossible to answer it with only one reference. Mathematically, it is impossible to determine how cold 0 degrees is. Because 0 degrees is cold compared to another temperature. 0 degrees is not so cold compared to -50. But it's very cold compared to 50 degrees.

So, in other words, you need a starting point: say 25 degrees. In that case, -25 would be twice as cold as 0. Otherwise, there is no possible answer because the concept of "cold" is not a mathematical element.

I hope I've managed to explain it.

Take care!

Answer 4

0 is a paradoxical number. It is actually used for our convenience in applied Mathematics or in physics. In the Celsius system of measurement of temperature,0 indicates a reference point or an initial point which is the melting point of water. From this point, temperature above it is measured as +ve value of temperature and below it is measured in -ve values, which we call as sub-zero temperature. Initial point cannot be multiplied by any number . For example a man walks 1 km at a certain time. Here we can say another man walks double the distance in the same time. But, we cannot say `double the distance of initial position'. 0 is such a reference point wherein both +ve and -ve notions ceases to exist. At 0, +ve temperature commences and ends at infinity, also -ve temperature commences and ends at -ve infinity. In this case also 0 is not mutiplicable. Please note that 0 indicates the complete cesation of +ve and negativity of temperature, actually not the temperature, temperature exists even at 0 degree celsius,and nobody knows what is true magnitude of temperature at 0 degree celsius, because we can only understand or measure with reference to something only,but not actually in its absolute sense. Better say , 0 is a magnitudeless, dimentionless ... less, point.

Answer 5

michaell and Dave (a few answers back) have given the correct answer. Only difference is the reference points they chose (0 kelvin and 25)

Answer 6

depending upon the temperature scale that you are using:

take the number of degrees between 0 degrees and absolute zero, halve it, and you have the number of degrees (below zero OR above absolute zero) that it is.

HOWEVER

if you are using an absolute temperature scale (absolute zero = zero degrees), it cannot get any colder. absolute zero is defined as the absence of any energy. you cannot have less than zero energy.

Answer 7

well it would 0/2 which is still 0 so the temperature would stay the same.

Answer 8

well, is that 0 degrees farenheight or celcius? What I would do for that problem is convert it over to the other measure and then double it.

Answer 9

Zero

Answer 10

Please clarify your question. Is it 0 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Moxie is correct. You can go with her answer to the question if you are referring to degrees Fahrenheit.