Ch. 17 - Temperature, Thermal Expansion, and the Ideal Gas Law

Giancoli Douglas - Physics for Scientists and Engineers 5th edition

Giancoli Douglas5th editionPhysics for Scientists and EngineersISBN: 9780137488179Not the one you use?Change textbook

Giancoli Douglas 5th edition

Ch. 17 - Temperature, Thermal Expansion, and the Ideal Gas Law

Problem 3a

Chapter 17, Problem 3a

(I) (a) “Room temperature” is often taken to be 68°F. What is this on the Celsius scale?

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the relationship between Fahrenheit and Celsius. The formula to convert Fahrenheit (F) to Celsius (C) is:

C = \frac{5}{9} (F - 32)

Step 2: Substitute the given Fahrenheit temperature (68°F) into the formula. This gives:

C = \frac{5}{9} (68 - 32)

Step 3: Perform the subtraction inside the parentheses:

68 - 32

. This simplifies the expression.

Step 4: Multiply the result of the subtraction by the fraction

\frac{5}{9}

. This will give the temperature in Celsius.

Step 5: Interpret the result as the equivalent temperature in Celsius for 68°F, which represents room temperature.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Temperature Scales

Temperature can be measured using different scales, the most common being Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F). The Celsius scale is based on the freezing point of water at 0°C and the boiling point at 100°C, while the Fahrenheit scale sets the freezing point at 32°F and the boiling point at 212°F. Understanding the relationship between these scales is essential for converting temperatures accurately.

Conversion Formula

To convert a temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius, the formula used is C = (F - 32) × 5/9. This formula accounts for the difference in the size of the degree units between the two scales. Mastery of this formula is crucial for solving problems that require temperature conversions.

Room Temperature

Room temperature is a commonly accepted range of ambient temperatures that is comfortable for human habitation, typically around 20°C to 22°C (68°F to 72°F). It serves as a standard reference point in various scientific and engineering contexts, making it important to understand its significance when discussing temperature-related questions.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

A thermometer tells you that you have a fever of 38.5°C. What is this in Fahrenheit?

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Textbook Question

The Eiffel Tower (Fig. 17–20) is built of wrought iron approximately 300 m tall. Estimate how much its height changes between January (average temperature of 2°C) and July (average temperature of 25°C). Ignore the angles of the iron beams and treat the tower as a vertical beam.

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Textbook Question

In an alcohol-in-glass thermometer, the alcohol column has length 12.61 cm at 0.0°C and length 22.79 cm at 100.0°C. What is the temperature if the column has length 14.40 cm?

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