Negative Numbers Reasoning 5 - Reasoning

The statement made by the reporter regarding the temperature differences over the course of a week is under scrutiny in a reasoning exercise focused on negative numbers. According to the data provided by the weather channel, the temperatures recorded from Monday to Sunday were 12°C, 5°C, 0°C, -3°C, 8°C, -1°C, and 11°C, respectively. The reporter claimed that the highest and lowest temperatures of the week differed by 10°C. However, a closer examination reveals that the highest temperature, occurring on Monday, was 12°C, and the lowest, on Thursday, was -3°C. Calculating the difference between these two figures involves understanding how to work with negative numbers: 12°C subtracting -3°C results in a 15°C difference, not the 10°C reported.

This mathematical error demonstrates the importance of correctly handling negative numbers, especially when determining the range in a set of data. The correct calculation, which includes the subtraction of a negative number, leads to a larger difference than what was initially reported. Therefore, the reporter's statement is false. To convincingly establish this, one simply needs to perform the subtraction, taking into account the negative sign, which effectively turns the operation into an addition: 12°C + 3°C equals 15°C. This exercise serves as a practical example of how negative numbers can impact real-world scenarios, such as interpreting temperature variations over time.