The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: 109° Fahrenheit is equal to 42.78° Celsius.
Explanation
Converting a temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius is a common calculation that involves a simple formula to account for the different scales used by each system. The Celsius scale is based on the freezing and boiling points of water being 0° and 100° respectively, while the Fahrenheit scale sets these points at 32° and 212°. The conversion formula is:
°C = (°F – 32) × 5/9
To convert 109°F to Celsius, we can follow these steps:
- Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature. This initial step aligns the starting points of the two scales.
109 – 32 = 77 - Multiply the result by the fraction 5/9. This fraction represents the different interval sizes between the scales. The Celsius scale has 100 degrees between freezing and boiling, while Fahrenheit has 180 degrees (212 – 32). The ratio 100/180 simplifies to 5/9.
77 × (5/9) = 385 / 9 - Calculate the final value. Dividing 385 by 9 gives the temperature in Celsius.
385 ÷ 9 ≈ 42.777…
For most practical purposes, this number is rounded to one or two decimal places. Rounding to two decimal places gives us 42.78°C.
Therefore, a temperature of 109°F is equivalent to 42.78°C. This is a very high temperature, indicating either a severe heatwave in terms of weather or a dangerously high fever if referring to body temperature. Understanding this conversion is crucial for accurately interpreting temperature data, especially in scientific, medical, and international contexts where Celsius is the predominant scale.
