SOLUTION: Tom Jones and Bill Smith set out to create their own thermometers. Jones calls the freezing point of water on his scale 40 degrees, while Smith calls his freezing point 25 degrees

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Question 1165411: Tom Jones and Bill Smith set out to create their own thermometers. Jones calls the freezing point of water on his scale 40 degrees, while Smith calls his freezing point 25 degrees. Jones makes the boiling point of water 280 degrees and Smith, 125 degrees. What temperature is on the Smith thermometer when the Jones thermometer reads 97 degrees? Answer to the nearest tenth of a degree.

Answer by htmentor(1343) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Jones scale: Freezing point = 40, Boiling point = 280
Smith scale: Freezing point = 25, Boiling point = 125
We need to find a relationship between the two scales
On the Jones scale, the difference between boiling and freezing is 280 - 40 = 240
On the Smith scale, the difference between boiling and freezing is 125 - 25 = 100
Thus, the Jones scale has 240/100 = 2.4 degrees for every 1 degree on the Smith scale
J = 2.4S + T0, where T0 is the yet to be determined intercept
Use one of the given points to determine T0
40 = 2.4*25 + T0 -> T0 = -20
So J = 2.4S - 20
97 = 2.4S - 20
S = 117/2.4 = 48.8 deg.