Mean temprature

[kbeavis]

a temperature reading was taken every 12 hours for 15 days making the mean temperature -5.8oC. Why would this result not reflect the true mean temperature and what additional data would you record to obtain a more reliable value for the mean temperature over those 15 days?

[Clanad]

To obtain the true mean temperature for the time period, one would also have to record the high and low temperatures obtained in the test time period and then take that average as well...

[Thunderchild]

say i think a new rule should made about homework questions. it should be specified if the question is for home work or not hehe.

well i'd say apart from the correct assement of clanad that to take the temperature at shorter intervals would make the result more reliable. the max and min theory of clanad is fine if we r talking about a linear variation of temperature (say 1� per hour) but if the variation were sal exponential like it probably is (first hour 1� rise or fall second hour 2� rise or fall third hour 4� rise or fall forth hour 8�rise or fall and so on) then the more often the truer he answer

[landie]

It depends when the results were taken and the location. Obviously if the mean was -5.8 degrees C then it was a pretty cold place but if the readings were taken at, say 1 pm and 1 am you may have got a different answer had the time of readings been 6 am and 6pm. That is why the above answers have recommended more samples.