Real-Life Math -- Solution
1. If the temperature is 72 F at the crime scene, what is the temperature
at the weather station?
Weather station: (72 - 2.5) x 1.16 = 81
You'd
expect the temperature to be 81 F.
2. What is the formula to calculate
the temperature at the crime scene, if you have the temperature for the weather
station? A: crime scene temperature; B: weather station temperature
(A
- 2.5) x 1.16 = B
(A - 2.5) = B / 1.16
A = (B /
1.16) + 2.5
3. If the weather station temperature is 45 F, what
is the temperature at the crime scene?
Crime scene: (45 / 1.16)
+ 2.5 = 41 F
You would expect the crime scene temperature to be 41
F.
Regression
analysis is done with the aid of computers. Still, it requires strong math
skills to understand.
Forensic entomologists use math to analyze their
research. They have to defend their findings in court, so there's no room
for error.
"I need to use statistics quite a bit, so I've had myself
trained in that," says forensic entomologist Gail Anderson. "We're not talking
about high mathematics here, but we are looking at some basic statistical
analysis."