39. On a particular winter day, a town recorded temperatures throughout the day of -5, -2, 0, 4, 7, 6, 3, and 1. In degrees Celsius. What is the range of temperatures in degrees Celsius, in the town on that day?
Answer: D
The range of temperatures in the town on that day is 12 degrees Celsius.
The range is calculated by subtracting the lowest temperature from the highest temperature recorded. In this case, the highest temperature is 7 degrees Celsius and the lowest is -5 degrees Celsius, resulting in a range of 7 - (-5) = 12 degrees Celsius.
A) 2
This option is incorrect because it does not accurately reflect the difference between the highest and lowest temperatures. The calculation for the range must consider both extremes of the temperature readings, which do not support a range of only 2 degrees.
B) 6
This option is also incorrect as it underestimates the actual range of temperatures. The highest temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and the lowest of -5 degrees Celsius yield a range that far exceeds 6 degrees when calculated correctly.
C) 8
Option C is incorrect as well. Although it is closer to the correct value than options A and B, it still fails to account for the full range of temperature differences, which is determined by the actual highest and lowest values provided.
D) 12
This option is correct since it accurately represents the range calculated from the highest temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and the lowest temperature of -5 degrees Celsius. The correct calculation confirms that the range is indeed 12 degrees Celsius.
Conclusion
The correct answer is definitively 12 degrees Celsius, as it correctly reflects the range derived from the temperature extremes recorded. All other options fail because they do not account for the significant difference between the highest and lowest temperatures observed on that day.