Functional Skills: Temperature
Functional Skills: Temperature Revision
Temperature
Temperature is a measure of how hot something is.
High temperatures mean something is hot, such as a microwave oven.
Low temperatures mean something is cold, such as a freezer.
Degrees Celsius
There are several different units that temperature is measured in, however the most common unit is degrees Celsius (\degree \text{C}). Below is a number line listing several key temperatures in degrees Celsius.
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Calculations Involving Temperature
The only calculation you could be asked to work out involving temperature is the difference between temperatures. To do this, provided that the temperatures are the same unit, we can just subtract the smaller number from the bigger number.
Example:Â The coldest temperature recorded on 23rd August was 8\degree \text{C}. The warmest temperature recorded on that day was 24\degree \text{C}. What is the difference between the warmest and coldest temperatures on that day?
All we do is subtract.
24-8=16
The temperature difference is 16\degree \text{C}
Comparing Temperatures
You might be asked to select the warmest or coldest of something, given information about temperatures.
Example:Â Ruth and Stephen are planning a seaside vacation. They want to go to the place that is likely to be the warmest in July. The average July temperature of Scarborough is 21\degree \text{C}; the average July temperature of Brighton is 26\degree \text{C}; and the average July temperature of Blackpool is 23\degree \text{C}. Which place should they go to?
All we need to do is select the biggest number.
The highest temperature is 26\degree \text{C}, which is for Brighton. So Ruth and Stephen should go to Brighton.
Example 1: Calculations Involving Temperature
In Hull, the temperature is 16\degree \text{C}. In Grimsby the temperature is 9\degree \text{C}. What is the temperature difference between the two places?
[2 marks]
All we need to do is subtract the numbers.
16-9=7
There is a 7\degree \text{C}Â temperature difference between the two places.
Example 2: Comparing Temperatures
Jon is a scientist, and his experiment apparatus needs to be stored at the coldest temperature possible while not freezing. He looks at a number of refrigerator options:
Which refrigerator should he choose?
[1 mark]
We want the coldest temperature, so we need to select the smallest number.
This is 2\degree \text{C} for the Kayclear All-in-One Model 4 refrigerator.
So he should choose the Kayclear All-in-One Model 4 refrigerator.
Functional Skills: Temperature Example Questions
Question 1:Â At what temperature would these things happen?
i) Water turns into ice
ii) Human body temperature
iii) Water turns to steam
[3 marks]
i) 0\degree \text{C}
ii) 37\degree \text{C}
iii) 100\degree \text{C}
Question 2:Â In each pair, calculate the temperature difference.
a) 50\degree \text{C} and 65\degree \text{C}
b) 50\degree \text{C} and 19\degree \text{C}
c) 12\degree \text{C} and 1\degree \text{C}
d) 1400\degree \text{C} and 1550\degree \text{C}
[4 marks]
a) 65-50=15\degree \text{C}
b) 50-19=31\degree \text{C}
c) 12-1=11\degree \text{C}
d) 1550-1400=150\degree \text{C}
Question 3:Â Select the largest temperatures out of these groups.
a) 9\degree \text{C}, 21\degree \text{C}, 18\degree \text{C}
b) 3\degree \text{C}, 9\degree \text{C}, 12\degree \text{C}
c) 1500\degree \text{C}, 2500\degree \text{C}, 2419\degree \text{C}
d) 35\degree \text{C}, 38\degree \text{C}, 25\degree \text{C}
[4 marks]
a) 21\degree \text{C}
b) 12\degree \text{C}
c) 2500\degree \text{C}
d) 38\degree \text{C}
Question 4:Â Abby is looking to go on holiday to France. She has narrowed her choice of location down to three places and wants to pick the place with the highest average temperature in August.
Nice has an average temperature of 31\degree \text{C}, Paris has an average temperature of 25\degree \text{C}, and Marseille has an average temperature of 33\degree \text{C}.
Which location should Abby choose?
[1 mark]
We are looking for the highest temperature, which is the biggest number.
This is 33\degree \text{C} at Marseille.
So Abby should choose Marseille.
Question 5:Â Gary is a keen hiker, and wishes to hike up Mount Snowdon. Before he does, he wants information about the mountain, including the average temperature difference between the top and the bottom.
He finds that the average temperature at the top is 9\degree \text{C} while the average temperature at the bottom is 14\degree \text{C}.
What is the difference between the average temperature at the top and the bottom?
[2 marks]
We are finding a temperature difference so we want to take the smaller temperature from the bigger temperature.
14-9=5
The temperature difference is 5\degree \text{C}.
Functional Skills: Temperature Worksheet and Example Questions
