At a weather observation station in Jos, Nigeria, a meteorologist recorded the following d… — JAMB UTME

At a weather observation station in Jos, Nigeria, a meteorologist recorded the following daily temperature readings using a Six's maximum and minimum thermometer over a four-day period:

- Day 1: Maximum = $31.0^\circ\text{C}$ , Minimum = $19.0^\circ\text{C}$
- Day 2: Maximum = $33.5^\circ\text{C}$ , Minimum = $17.5^\circ\text{C}$
- Day 3: Maximum = $28.0^\circ\text{C}$ , Minimum = $16.0^\circ\text{C}$
- Day 4: Maximum = $29.5^\circ\text{C}$ , Minimum = $18.5^\circ\text{C}$

Calculate the mean diurnal (daily) temperature range for this four-day period in degrees Celsius ( $^\circ\text{C}$ ).

Answer: 12.75 °C

Answer

The mean diurnal temperature range over the four-day period is

12.75^\circ\text{C}

The mean diurnal range measures the average difference between daily peak heat and night cooling over a given period. Subtracting minimum from maximum for each day yields

12.0^\circ\text{C}

16.0^\circ\text{C}

12.0^\circ\text{C}

, and

11.0^\circ\text{C}

. The average of these four values is

12.75^\circ\text{C}

Step-by-Step Solution

Find the diurnal range for each individual day

Day 1:

12.0^\circ\text{C}

, Day 2:

16.0^\circ\text{C}

, Day 3:

12.0^\circ\text{C}

, Day 4:

11.0^\circ\text{C}

The diurnal temperature range is defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded in a single 24-hour period.

Calculate the sum of all daily ranges

51.0^\circ\text{C}

To compute an average over multiple days, the individual daily ranges must first be aggregated.

Compute the arithmetic mean across the 4 days

12.75^\circ\text{C}

Dividing the aggregate sum by the total number of observation days (4) yields the mean diurnal range.

Key Concept

Diurnal Temperature Range and Mean Calculation

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