Dear Tom,
This question is not as simple as it sounds. Please help me figure out the answer. If the temperature today is 0 (degrees) F and the forecast says tomorrow will be twice as cold, what will tomorrow’s temperature be?
Elaine Sonkin, Chicago, Ill.
Dear Elaine,
It’s unlikely you’ll ever hear a weather forecast expressed in those terms, but your question is certainly fascinating and we hear it occasionally. Let’s define “twice as cold” as meaning “containing half as much heat.” Then, “twice as cold as 0 (degrees)” means the temperature at which there is only half as much heat as at 0 (degrees). Consider that there is no heat at all–absolutely none –at -459.7 (degrees)F (absolute zero), the lowest possible temperature. The answer to “What’s twice as cold as 0 (degrees)F?” will be the temperature exactly half way between -459.7 (degrees) and 0 (degrees), or about -230 (degrees)F.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
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