Question

An equation is written to represent the relationship between the temperature in Alaska during a snow storm, y, as it relates to the time in hours, x, since the storm started. A graph of the equation is created. Which quadrants of a coordinate grid should be used to display this data? Quadrant 1 only Quadrant 1 and 2 only Quadrant 4 only Quadrant 1 and 4 only

Answer 1

Answer:

either of ...

• quadrant 1 only

• quadrant 1 and 4 only

Step-by-step explanation:

Time since the storm started is always positive. The values of x are positive in quadrants 1 and 4.

Temperatures in a blizzard are not always terribly cold. Some of the coldest snowstorms on record have temperatures in the range of +5 °F to +18 °F. These values are negative temperatures on the Celsius scale, so the quadrant used for plotting them will depend on the temperature scale you choose.

While temperatures in Alaska can be well below zero (on either the F or C temperature scales), the air usually has to warm up to the range indicated above before it can snow. US temperatures are generally reported using the Fahrenheit scale, but weather records are often kept using the Celsius scale.

I would be inclined to choose "Quadrant 1 and 4 only", but arguments can be made for "1 only" and "4 only" as suggested above.