- What is the temperature gradient between Atlanta and Miami? Here, the gradient will be the difference in temperature between the two locations, divided by the distance between them. The answer is thus 24 °C minus 12 °C, divided by 960 km: 0.0125 °C/km.
- How many hours will it take for the temperature in Miami to reach 12 °C? Let’s first get the rate of cooling in Miami. The front is moving with the speed of 20 km/h, and we know that the gradient is 0.0125 °C/km. The cooling rate is then 20 km/h times 0.0125 °C/km: 0.25 °C/hour. The Miami temperature starts at 24 °C, so it will reach 12 °C in 24 °C minus 12 °C, divided by the cooling rate 0.25 °C/hour. The result is 48 hours.
- What will be the temperature in Miami after 24 hours? We know that the Miami temperature starts at 24 °C and that its cooling rate is 0.25 °C/hour. The answer is then 24 °C – 0.25 °C/hour times 24 hours. The result is 18 °C.
Exercise: Cold front propagation