High School

What was the temperature of the sea water the night the Titanic sank?

A) 32 degrees Fahrenheit
B) 28 degrees Fahrenheit
C) 36 degrees Fahrenheit
D) 24 degrees Fahrenheit

Answer :

Final answer:

The correct option is B) 28 degrees Fahrenheit. The sea water's temperature the night the Titanic sank was 28 degrees Fahrenheit, which is below the freshwater freezing point on the Fahrenheit scale, and was lethally cold, causing rapid onset of hypothermia.

Explanation:

The correct option is B) 28 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature of the seawater the night the Titanic sank was 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-2 degrees Celsius). Given that the Fahrenheit scale defines the freezing point of water as 32°F and the boiling point as 212°F, we can infer that the water was indeed below freezing; however, due to the salt content in the ocean, seawater's freezing point is slightly below 32°F. The reported temperature on the night the Titanic sank was dangerously cold, contributing to the tragedy as the cold water would have induced hypothermia quickly, hastening the demise of those in the water.