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If it is 0 degrees F in your hometown, and it is twice as cold in Fairbanks, Alaska; how cold is it in Fairbanks?

Jaime

Cold enough to bring in the brass monkey?

C.

Quote from: Chrestian on Wed Nov 29, 2006 - 10:35:30
Cold enough to bring in the brass monkey?

C.

or colder than a well digger's brass in the Klondikes!

Ummmm, 0?

Quote from: mandalee65 on Thu Nov 30, 2006 - 13:32:38
Ummmm, 0?

Manda, How can 0 deg F be twice as cold as 0 deg F? 

Oops,.....uh oh, wrong thread! 

Too little information to answer the question.  Twice as cold compared to what?  If the current temperature is 10 degrees, then -10 would be twice as cold as 0.  If on the other hand, the current temperature is 50 degrees, then -50 would be twice as cold as 0.  It's a relative comparison.

Actually, here's a bit of trivia, the coldest temperature physically possible is -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.  Apparently, it is not possible for anything to be colder than that.

Then, again, maybe I'm making this way harder than it needs to be.

If I were trying to answer the question I'd convert the temperature to the Kelvin scale, divide by 2, and then convert back to Fahrenheit.  But, as little effort as is required to do that, I'm not trying to answer the question.   

In opposition to the forum rules for riddles, I don't have an answer. This was a question that a physics professor asked as bonus question on my physics final in college many, many years ago. I was so enthralled with the subject, I never went back to find out what the answer was. I was just thrilled to pass.

Brian, I would guess you are probably close to right, or........ not too far from wrong, Ooops! 

Non-academic Jaime

Using that algorithm my answer would be -229.835 Fahrenheit.

-32 F.

I win!

1.  Convert 0 F to its companion in Celsius (which is -17.778 C).

2.  Multiply by 2 to get (-35.556 C).

3.  Convert back to Farenheit to get (-32 F).

I've seen colder than that.  Trust me, dry your hair before you leave the house.  Don't ask me why I know.

Quote from: jmg3rd on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 13:58:39
I've seen colder than that.  Trust me, dry your hair before you leave the house.  Don't ask me why I know.

When I was a Junior in High School up in the Frozen North that is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we had 60 straight days where the high temperature did not exceed -20 F.  There were times when my eyeballs about froze.

Quote from: Gary on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 13:55:43
1.  Convert 0 F to its companion in Celsius (which is -17.778 C).

2.  Multiply by 2 to get (-35.556 C).

3.  Convert back to Farenheit to get (-32 F).

You should use the Kelvin (absolute) scale instead of the Celsius scale, which is arbitrarily based around the freezing point of water in normal pressures.

Quote from: BrianInChrist on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 14:36:53

Quote from: Gary on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 13:55:43
1.  Convert 0 F to its companion in Celsius (which is -17.778 C).

2.  Multiply by 2 to get (-35.556 C).

3.  Convert back to Farenheit to get (-32 F).

You should use the Kelvin (absolute) scale instead of the Celsius scale, which is arbitrarily based around the freezing point of water in normal pressures.

You won't get the right answer that way.  The temperature scale that is recognized by most countries is the Celsius scale.

Quote from: BrianInChrist on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 13:13:00
Using that algorithm my answer would be -229.835 Fahrenheit.

Brian, I had no intention of Bringing Al Gore into a non-political thread! 

Quote from: Gary on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 14:40:42

Quote from: BrianInChrist on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 14:36:53

Quote from: Gary on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 13:55:43
1.  Convert 0 F to its companion in Celsius (which is -17.778 C).

2.  Multiply by 2 to get (-35.556 C).

3.  Convert back to Farenheit to get (-32 F).

You should use the Kelvin (absolute) scale instead of the Celsius scale, which is arbitrarily based around the freezing point of water in normal pressures.

You won't get the right answer that way.  The temperature scale that is recognized by most countries is the Celsius scale.

Also, only Celsius is authorized since it is based on the boiling and freezing point of WATER. 

In the beginning, the earth was covered in WATER.  There are three that bear witness... the WATER, Spirit, and the blood.  The eight souls were saved on Noah's ark through WATER.  And, without being born again through WATER and the Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

So, Celsius is what it's all about.

Obviously I am no expert, but I ran the numbers that Brian offered, and he is correct if Kelvin is the standard. But Gary I like your answer too. You guys must've studied more in physics than I did! Or it was just too long ago for me........yeah that's what it is.

Jaime

PS, DCR you gave the "authorized" version!

I was a physics major.  This isn't necessarily a physics problem, though.  Like DCR mentioned, it really depends on what you mean by "twice as cold as".

Quote from: Jaime on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 15:15:54

Quote from: BrianInChrist on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 13:13:00
Using that algorithm my answer would be -229.835 Fahrenheit.

Brian, I had no intention of Bringing Al Gore into a non-political thread! 

Quote from: BrianInChrist on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 15:43:11
I was a physics major.  This isn't necessarily a physics problem, though.  Like DCR mentioned, it really depends on what you mean by "twice as cold as".

I guess I'm not following, but I mean twice as cold as 0 deg F. Is there a more precise way to say that? (not meaning to be sarcastic, just curious). Is the 0 the problem? Instead of twice as cold, should it be stated half as warm as?

Maybe the precise question ought to be: At what point on the Farenheit scale is there only one half the heat present at 0 Degrees F? Then on that basis, Brian your answer of minus 229.835 deg F probably would be correct. Do we have a consensus? 

Here's another way of showing how nonsensical the question is...

What temperature is twice as cold as 95 degrees F?

Sounds crazy.  But, it makes as much sense.

Quote from: Jaime on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 16:00:55
Maybe the precise question ought to be: At what point on the Farenheit scale is there only one half the heat present at 0 Degrees F? Then on that basis, Brian your answer of minus 229.835 deg F probably would be correct. Do we have a consensus? 

If you phrase the question that way then I'm certain that the correct temperature is -229.835 Fahrenheit.

Quote from: DCR on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 17:27:30
Here's another way of showing how nonsensical the question is...

What temperature is twice as cold as 95 degrees F?

Sounds crazy.  But, it makes as much sense.

Why couldn't you work it (95 deg F)  the same way with the Kelvin conversion.  Not nonsensical at all, if twice as cold equates to 1/2 as much heat on the absolute scale (Kelvin)

95 Deg F equals 308.149999 K divided by 2 equals 154.075 K
converted to Farenheit equals -182.335 deg F (aka the temp that is twice as cold as 95 deg F) 

Jaime

Quote from: Jaime on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 16:00:55

Quote from: BrianInChrist on Fri Dec 01, 2006 - 15:43:11
I was a physics major.  This isn't necessarily a physics problem, though.  Like DCR mentioned, it really depends on what you mean by "twice as cold as".

I guess I'm not following, but I mean twice as cold as 0 deg F. Is there a more precise way to say that? (not meaning to be sarcastic, just curious). Is the 0 the problem? Instead of twice as cold, should it be stated half as warm as?

Maybe the precise question ought to be: At what point on the Fahrenheit scale is there only one half the heat present at 0 Degrees F? Then on that basis, Brian your answer of minus 229.835 deg F probably would be correct. Do we have a consensus? 

I concur...

Or, to be more positive about it, plus 229.835 deg Rankin.

Never seen it quite that cold, but having spent a few winters near Ogdensburg NY as a kid, I've seen get it close...

The cool thing about -40 is that it is the same in F and C (which was "Centigrade" back then).

The uncool thing was it was colder than roadsalting could fix, and sometimes our schools were closed, but not until we waited for the bus 30 minutes with a 10-15 Knot wind seemingly to come straight out of Hudson Bay, across the St Lawrence, and through our clothing.  (We also hadn't heard of "wind chill" back in the 50's, but we were quite aware of the effect...)

We used our days off freezing candle flames, and selling them to tourists as strawberries. [Not many tourists out, though... ]

Quote from: Jaime on Wed Nov 29, 2006 - 10:25:55
If it is 0 degrees F in your hometown, and it is twice as cold in Fairbanks, Alaska; how cold is it in Fairbanks?

Jaime

I just moved out of Fairbanks 3 months ago, the riddle is why does anyone live in a town where it stays below -30 3-4 months out of the year!!!!!!!!

my humble 2 cents

Rick

Quote from: rick6886 on Fri May 04, 2007 - 11:33:28

Quote from: Jaime on Wed Nov 29, 2006 - 10:25:55
If it is 0 degrees F in your hometown, and it is twice as cold in Fairbanks, Alaska; how cold is it in Fairbanks?

Jaime

I just moved out of Fairbanks 3 months ago, the riddle is why does anyone live in a town where it stays below -30 3-4 months out of the year!!!!!!!!

my humble 2 cents

Rick

Because Algore says that in a few years, it will be a tropical paradise, and still several hundred feet above sea level...

Quote from: normfromga on Fri May 04, 2007 - 12:09:25

Quote from: rick6886 on Fri May 04, 2007 - 11:33:28

Quote from: Jaime on Wed Nov 29, 2006 - 10:25:55
If it is 0 degrees F in your hometown, and it is twice as cold in Fairbanks, Alaska; how cold is it in Fairbanks?

Jaime

I just moved out of Fairbanks 3 months ago, the riddle is why does anyone live in a town where it stays below -30 3-4 months out of the year!!!!!!!!

my humble 2 cents

Rick

Because Algore says that in a few years, it will be a tropical paradise, and still several hundred feet above sea level...

thats right i forgot all about "the inconvenient truth", maybe this is why Fairbanks is booming right now (it really is, no joke...)

my humble 2 cents

Rick

[/quote]ummm...0(2)=0  (not that i'm much of a math whiz)

You guys are all missing the biggest clue. "Twice as cold" forces us to consider just what it meant by "cold". Something is either warm, cold, or just right. Cold implies it is colder than average. The mean temperature on earth is 58.1 F. If something is twice as cold as 0 F, then it must be twice as much colder than average, which means it must be -58.1 F.

-229.835 F is the correct answer Charlie. Cold is not a state of being to a physicist. Cold is the degree of absence of heat. If O degrees F is the base, you have to convert it to Absolute or Kelvin degrees (being minus) then multiply by 2 to see what temperature is twice that cold (lacking in heat)

Quote from: Jaime on Mon Dec 17, 2007 - 08:41:54
-229.835 F is the correct answer Charlie. Cold is not a state of being to a physicist. Cold is the degree of absence of heat. If O degrees F is the base, you have to convert it to Absolute or Kelvin degrees (being minus) then multiply by 2 to see what temperature is twice that cold (lacking in heat)

There's no such thing as a "degree of absence" to a physicist.

That's it, I'm starting my own church.

Quote from: charlie on Mon Dec 17, 2007 - 12:23:19

Quote from: Jaime on Mon Dec 17, 2007 - 08:41:54
-229.835 F is the correct answer Charlie. Cold is not a state of being to a physicist. Cold is the degree of absence of heat. If O degrees F is the base, you have to convert it to Absolute or Kelvin degrees (being minus) then multiply by 2 to see what temperature is twice that cold (lacking in heat)

There's no such thing as a "degree of absence" to a physicist.

That's it, I'm starting my own church.

I'm sorry for the confusion. To any physicist, cold is the absence of heat. Less cold would be a less absence of heat..............to a certain degree.



My pakistani is a little rusty. (All my physics professors were Pakistani!) 

0 twice as would mean times 2. 2 times 0 is 0.

good question.