Math Is Fun Forum

Monox D. I-Fly

Member

From: Indonesia

Registered: 2015-12-02

Posts: 2,000

[ASK] About Hot and Cold

What is 4 times hotter than -4 degrees Celcius?
A. -16 degrees Celcius
B. -1 degrees Celcius
C. 12 degrees Celcius
D. 16 degrees Celcius

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Actually I never watch Star Wars and not interested in it anyway, but I choose a Yoda card as my avatar in honor of our great friend bobbym who has passed away.
May his adventurous soul rest in peace at heaven.

thickhead

Member

Registered: 2016-04-16

Posts: 1,086

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

4 times hotter is meaningless.

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{1}Vasudhaiva Kutumakam.{The whole Universe is a family.}
(2)Yatra naaryasthu poojyanthe Ramanthe tatra Devataha
{Gods rejoice at those places where ladies are respected.}

Monox D. I-Fly

Member

From: Indonesia

Registered: 2015-12-02

Posts: 2,000

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

What?

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Actually I never watch Star Wars and not interested in it anyway, but I choose a Yoda card as my avatar in honor of our great friend bobbym who has passed away.
May his adventurous soul rest in peace at heaven.

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

Hi;

Can you please tell what you get for an answer?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,634

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

hi Monox D. I-Fly

I understand why you're puzzled.  That negative makes the question silly.  My son suggests:

(1) Convert to the absolute scale, kelvins, 269
(2)  times by 4, 1076
(3) convert back, 803 degrees celcius.

Ho hum.  Sometimes questions have no answer.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Monox D. I-Fly

Member

From: Indonesia

Registered: 2015-12-02

Posts: 2,000

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

hi Monox D. I-Fly

I understand why you're puzzled.  That negative makes the question silly.  My son suggests:

(1) Convert to the absolute scale, kelvins, 269
(2)  times by 4, 1076
(3) convert back, 803 degrees celcius.

Ho hum.  Sometimes questions have no answer.

Bob

That's way too hot than all of the options.

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Actually I never watch Star Wars and not interested in it anyway, but I choose a Yoda card as my avatar in honor of our great friend bobbym who has passed away.
May his adventurous soul rest in peace at heaven.

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

Hi;

How about post #4?

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,634

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

hi Monox D. I-Fly

Yes, that's the puzzle.  Words like 'four times', and 'greater than' and 'negative four' all have well defined mathematical meanings, but 'hotter' doesn't.  Rather it's a colloquial term that doesn't seem to go with the rest of the question.  It's like asking 'Which is bigger, a triangle or a cube?'  In colloquial terms most people would regard -4 degrees C as cold.  You could easily say what is 4 degrees hotter than the given amount; it's the '4x as hot' that messes the question up and I agree with thickhead that it is meaningless as stated.

Where did it come from?

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Monox D. I-Fly

Member

From: Indonesia

Registered: 2015-12-02

Posts: 2,000

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

Hi;

How about post #4?

Well, all options are what I got since I was the one who made the question and hoisted by my own petard.
A (-16 degree) was what I got using regular multiplication, but since it's impossible that -16 degree is colder than -4 degree, I made the option D (16 degree).
B (-1 degree) was because I thought -4 degree is four times colder than -1 degree.
C (12 degree) was simply because I added -4 by product of 4 x 4.

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Actually I never watch Star Wars and not interested in it anyway, but I choose a Yoda card as my avatar in honor of our great friend bobbym who has passed away.
May his adventurous soul rest in peace at heaven.

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

Hi;

So you do agree with Bob and thickhead?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Monox D. I-Fly

Member

From: Indonesia

Registered: 2015-12-02

Posts: 2,000

Re: [ASK] About Hot and Cold

Yes, I give up.

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Actually I never watch Star Wars and not interested in it anyway, but I choose a Yoda card as my avatar in honor of our great friend bobbym who has passed away.
May his adventurous soul rest in peace at heaven.