Question

If the maximum and minimum temperatures at a place on a day are measured as $44^\circ C \pm 0.5^\circ C$ and $22^\circ C \pm 0.5^\circ C$ respectively, then the temperature difference is

• A. $22^\circ C \pm 1^\circ C$
• B. $22^\circ C \pm 0.5^\circ C$
• C. $22^\circ C \pm 0.25^\circ C$
• D. $22^\circ C \pm 1.5^\circ C$

Hint:

When subtracting two measurements with uncertainties, always add the absolute errors to get the final uncertainty.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The temperature difference is the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures:
$44^\circ C - 22^\circ C = 22^\circ C$
For the errors, when subtracting quantities with uncertainties, the absolute errors are added:
$0.5^\circ C + 0.5^\circ C = 1^\circ C$
So, the final result is: $22^\circ C \pm 1^\circ C$