📚 Part of: Basic Arithmetic And Indian Geography Mcqs

The overnight low temperature in Srinagar was-17$^\circ$F. The overnight low temperature in Shimla was-6$^\circ$F. How much warmer was Shimla than Srinagar?To solve the problem, Manny subtracted-6-(-17) and came up with an answer of-11$^\circ$F. Is Manny correct?

Category: Miscellaneous Indian Gk

Correct Answer: B) No, the answer should have been 11$^circ$F as Shimla was warmer.

Exam Relevance: UPSC, SSC, Banking Exams, Competitive Exams

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes:

To determine how much warmer one place is compared to another, you subtract the lower temperature from the higher temperature. In this case, since Shimla's temperature is higher than Srinagar's, you subtract Srinagar's temperature from Shimla's. This involves subtracting a negative number, which is equivalent to adding the positive counterpart of that number.

Common Mistakes:
  • Students might incorrectly subtract the higher temperature from the lower temperature, leading to a negative result.
  • Students might confuse the operation of subtraction with addition when dealing with negative numbers.
  • Students might not understand that subtracting a negative number is equivalent to adding a positive number.
Explanation:

To understand the problem of determining how much warmer Shimla was compared to Srinagar, we need to consider the concept of temperature difference and the arithmetic operations involved with negative numbers.

The overnight low temperature in Srinagar was -17$^\circ$F, and in Shimla, it was -6$^\circ$F. To find out how much warmer Shimla was compared to Srinagar, we need to subtract the lower temperature from the higher temperature. In this case, Shimla's temperature is higher than Srinagar's, so we subtract Srinagar's temperature from Shimla's temperature.

The mathematical operation is:

\[

-6 - (-17)

\]

Subtracting a negative number is equivalent to adding the positive counterpart of that number. Therefore, the expression simplifies to:

\[

-6 + 17

\]

Performing the addition:

\[

-6 + 17 = 11

\]

Thus, Shimla was 11$^\circ$F warmer than Srinagar.

Manny's mistake was in the arithmetic operation. He subtracted -6 from -17, which is incorrect because he was trying to find the difference in warmth, not the difference in the absolute values of the temperatures. The correct approach is to subtract the lower temperature from the higher temperature, which results in a positive value indicating the degree of warmth.

In summary, the correct answer is that Shimla was 11$^\circ$F warmer than Srinagar, and Manny's calculation of -11$^\circ$F is incorrect. The key concept here is understanding how to handle subtraction with negative numbers and correctly identifying which temperature is higher to determine the warmth difference.

Option Analysis:
  • Option A: This option is incorrect. Manny's calculation of -11$^\circ$F is incorrect because he subtracted the temperature of Shimla from Srinagar, which is the opposite of what is required. The correct approach is to subtract the lower temperature from the higher temperature, which would be -6 - (-17) = 11$^\circ$F.
  • Option B: This option is correct. The correct way to find the difference in temperature is to subtract the lower temperature from the higher temperature. Since Shimla's temperature is higher, we subtract Srinagar's temperature from Shimla's: -6 - (-17) = -6 + 17 = 11$^\circ$F. This indicates that Shimla was 11$^\circ$F warmer than Srinagar.
  • Option C: This option is incorrect. Adding the temperatures (-17) + (-6) would not give the difference in temperature. The correct operation is subtraction, not addition. Adding the temperatures would result in a lower value, which does not represent the difference in warmth between the two locations.
  • Option D: This option is incorrect. Since Option B correctly identifies the error in Manny's calculation and provides the correct answer, Option D is not applicable.

Mnemonic: Cold to Warm: Subtract the colder from the warmer.

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