Yesterday's afternoon temperature was 21°F. It plunged overnight to -3°F. How many degrees did the temperature drop?
Responses
A 3°3°
B 18°18°
C 24°24°
D 21°21°
The temperature dropped 24°F.
To find out, you take the final temperature (-3°F) and subtract the initial temperature (21°F):
-3°F - 21°F = -24°F, but since the question is asking for the amount of degrees the temperature dropped (not the difference between the two temperatures), we take the absolute value of -24, which is 24.