Math Problem Statement

The wind chill temperature when the outside temperature is 20°F is given by y = 0.0055x ^ 2 - 0.67x + 15.4 where x is the wind speed in mph. For what wind speeds between 0 and 90 mph is the wind chill temperature -3°F or below?

Solution

We are given the wind chill temperature formula:

y=0.0055x20.67x+15.4y = 0.0055x^2 - 0.67x + 15.4

where yy is the wind chill temperature, and xx is the wind speed in mph. We want to determine for what values of xx (the wind speed) between 0 and 90 mph, the wind chill temperature is 3F-3^\circ F or below.

So, we need to solve the inequality:

0.0055x20.67x+15.430.0055x^2 - 0.67x + 15.4 \leq -3

Step 1: Set up the equation

First, set the equation equal to 3-3:

0.0055x20.67x+15.4=30.0055x^2 - 0.67x + 15.4 = -3

Step 2: Move all terms to one side of the equation

0.0055x20.67x+15.4+3=00.0055x^2 - 0.67x + 15.4 + 3 = 0 0.0055x20.67x+18.4=00.0055x^2 - 0.67x + 18.4 = 0

Step 3: Solve the quadratic equation

We can now solve this quadratic equation using the quadratic formula: x=b±b24ac2ax = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}

For our equation:

  • a=0.0055a = 0.0055
  • b=0.67b = -0.67
  • c=18.4c = 18.4

Let's plug these values into the quadratic formula to find the wind speeds.

I'll calculate this next.The wind speeds at which the wind chill temperature is exactly 3F-3^\circ F are approximately 41.82 mph and 80 mph.

Step 4: Interpretation

Since the quadratic equation gives us these two wind speeds, the wind chill temperature will be 3F-3^\circ F or below for wind speeds between 41.82 mph and 80 mph.

Final Answer:

For wind speeds between approximately 41.82 mph and 80 mph, the wind chill temperature is 3F-3^\circ F or below.

Do you want more details on the steps or explanations?

Here are 5 related questions to expand on:

  1. How does the wind chill temperature change with increasing wind speeds?
  2. What happens to the wind chill temperature when the wind speed exceeds 90 mph?
  3. How would the wind chill equation change if the outside temperature is different?
  4. Can you use this quadratic equation to find the wind chill at specific wind speeds?
  5. What are the physical factors that affect wind chill and how it is calculated?

Tip: The discriminant in the quadratic formula tells you how many real solutions exist: if it's negative, there are no real solutions!

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Drop file here or Click Here to upload

Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Quadratic Inequalities
Wind Chill Formula

Formulas

Wind chill formula: y = 0.0055x^2 - 0.67x + 15.4
Quadratic equation: ax^2 + bx + c = 0
Quadratic formula: x = (-b ± √(b² - 4ac)) / 2a

Theorems

Quadratic Formula
Discriminant Analysis

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12