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Body temperature is often quoted as being 98.6 degree F. However, a given body t

ID: 1625576 • Letter: B

Question

Body temperature is often quoted as being 98.6 degree F. However, a given body temperatures vary over a range of as much as plusminus 0.9 degree F during a day, can vary by about as much from person to person. So it seems strange to this temperature to a tenth of a degree:it would make more sense to round the nearest integer and say that it is 99 degree F. However, convert 98.6 degree F to the equivalent temperature on the Celsius scale. Give that most European scientists in the 19th century were using the Celsius scale, speculate on body temperature is stated as 98.6 degree F instead of 99 degree F in countries using the Fahrenheit scale.

Explanation / Answer

Temperature in 0C = 5(F-32)/9 = 5 x (98.6 -32)/9 = 370 C

Hence the temperature is 370C.