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Algebra Level 2

Vladmir Putin was visiting Vostok Station on a summer day. A visiting American scientist remarked, "The outside temperature is x ∘ x^{\circ} ".

The Russian President asked, "Is that in Celsius or Fahrenheit?". and got the reply, "It does not matter."

What is the outside temperature when expressed in Kelvin?

Image credit: Wikipedia Presidential Press and Information Office


The answer is 233.15.

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Janardhanan Sivaramakrishnan by Janardhanan Sivaramakris… , 42

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1 solution

The conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit is

x ∘ C = ( 1.8 × x + 32 ) ∘ F x^{\circ} C = (1.8 \times x + 32)^{\circ} F

Since, x x is such a value that the units do not matter,

x = 1.8 x + 32 x=1.8x+32 or x = − 40 x = -40

The temperature is − 4 0 ∘ C = − 4 0 ∘ F -40^{\circ} C = -40^{\circ}F

Using the formula x ∘ C = ( x + 273.15 ) ∘ K x^{\circ} C = (x+273.15)^{\circ} K , the required answer comes to − 40 + 273.15 = 233.1 5 ∘ K -40+273.15=\boxed{233.15^{\circ}K}

3 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

I don't think that's a "Summer day". Can you edit that?

Calvin Lin Staff - 6 years, 4 months ago

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It is a summer day. In the southern hemisphere summer falls in December-January. The winters of Vostok station are much colder.

Janardhanan Sivaramakrishnan - 6 years, 4 months ago

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Ahh, i's 1300 km away from the Geographic South Pole. Didn't know that.

Indeed, the sumer temperature is in the range of − 5 5 ∘ - 55 ^ \circ to − 1 2 ∘ - 12 ^ \circ . Oh wow!

Calvin Lin Staff - 6 years, 4 months ago

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@Calvin Lin – Vostok station was where the coldest surface temperature on the planet was recorded.

Sharky Kesa - 6 years, 4 months ago

@Calvin Lin – How do they survive the winters? I get the feeling of death when the temperature hits below 5 ∘ C 5^{\circ} C . :D

Prasun Biswas - 6 years, 4 months ago

Well, I'll be d****d \textrm{d****d} if that is a summer day. :D

Prasun Biswas - 6 years, 4 months ago

And by the way, I have some jokes on Putin. Can I share them here? :P

Prasun Biswas - 6 years, 4 months ago

Same as Calvin. I too very much doubt you will get such a temperature in summer. Anyway, I came up with another similar problem "When units do not matter."

Noel Lo - 6 years, 1 month ago

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