The high temperature on Friday was 8 degrees above zero. The low temperature was 3 degrees below zero. Which expression gives the average of the low and high temperatures?

A. $-(3+8)+2$
B. $(-3+8)-2$
C. $(-3+8)-(-2)$
D. $[(-3+(-8)]-(2)$

The problem requires finding the expression for the average of two temperatures: 8 degrees above zero and 3 degrees below zero.
The average is calculated by adding the two temperatures and dividing by 2: 2 ( − 3 + 8 ) ​ .
Dividing by 2 is equivalent to subtracting -2, so the expression can be written as ( − 3 + 8 ) − ( − 2 ) .
The correct expression is ( − 3 + 8 ) − ( − 2 ) ​ .

Explanation

Understanding the Problem The problem asks for the expression that calculates the average of the high and low temperatures. The high temperature is 8 degrees above zero (+8), and the low temperature is 3 degrees below zero (-3).

Calculating the Average To find the average of two numbers, we add them together and divide by 2. In this case, we need to add the high temperature (+8) and the low temperature (-3), and then divide the sum by 2. This can be written as: 2 ( − 3 + 8 ) ​

Rewriting the Expression Now, let's express the division by 2 as multiplication by 2 1 ​ : 2 ( − 3 + 8 ) ​ = ( − 3 + 8 ) × 2 1 ​ However, the options provided do not have this exact form. Instead, they have the form of subtracting a negative number. Dividing by 2 is the same as subtracting -2 from the sum. Therefore, we can rewrite the expression as: ( − 3 + 8 ) − ( − 2 )

Identifying the Correct Option Comparing this expression with the given options, we find that the correct expression is: ( − 3 + 8 ) − ( − 2 )

Final Answer The correct expression that gives the average of the low and high temperatures is ( − 3 + 8 ) − ( − 2 ) .


Examples
In real life, calculating averages is useful in many situations. For example, if you want to know your average test score, you add up all your scores and divide by the number of tests. Similarly, if you want to find the average daily temperature for a week, you add up the temperatures for each day and divide by 7. This problem demonstrates a simple application of finding the average of two values, which is a fundamental concept in statistics and data analysis.

Answered by GinnyAnswer | 2025-07-05

The expression that gives the average of the high and low temperatures is ( − 3 + 8 ) − ( − 2 ) , which corresponds to option C. This is derived from calculating the sum of the temperatures and adjusting it appropriately. Thus, option C is the correct choice.
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Answered by Anonymous | 2025-07-08