Normal body temperature for an adult is between 97.8°F and 99°F, inclusive. If Kevin, an adult male, has a body...

1. TRANSLATE the problem information

• Given information:
  • Normal adult body temperature: between 97.8°F and 99°F, inclusive
  • Kevin has a normal body temperature
  • Need to find which option could be his temperature

• What "inclusive" means: The range includes both 97.8°F and 99°F as acceptable temperatures
• Mathematical constraint: \(97.8 \leq \mathrm{temperature} \leq 99\)

2. APPLY CONSTRAINTS to each answer choice

• Check each option against both bounds of the acceptable range:

Choice A: 96.7°F

• Is \(96.7 \geq 97.8\)? No, \(96.7 \lt 97.8\)
• This is below the normal range ✗

Choice B: 97.6°F

• Is \(97.6 \geq 97.8\)? No, \(97.6 \lt 97.8\)
• This is below the normal range ✗

Choice C: 97.9°F

• Is \(97.9 \geq 97.8\)? Yes ✓
• Is \(97.9 \leq 99\)? Yes ✓
• This is within the normal range ✓

Choice D: 99.7°F

• Is \(99.7 \leq 99\)? No, \(99.7 \gt 99\)
• This is above the normal range ✗

Answer: C (97.9°F)

Why Students Usually Falter on This Problem

Most Common Error Path:

Weak TRANSLATE skill: Misunderstanding what "inclusive" means in the context of ranges.

Some students interpret "between 97.8°F and 99°F" as excluding the endpoints, thinking the range is \(97.8 \lt \mathrm{temperature} \lt 99\). With this incorrect interpretation, they might incorrectly eliminate choices that are exactly 97.8°F or 99°F if those were options. However, since none of the current choices are exactly at the endpoints, this error wouldn't affect the final answer but shows conceptual confusion.

Second Most Common Error:

Inadequate APPLY CONSTRAINTS execution: Not systematically checking both bounds of the range for each option.

Students might only check if temperatures are "close enough" to the range or only verify one boundary condition. For instance, they might see that 97.6°F is close to 97.8°F and incorrectly select Choice B, not realizing that "close" isn't the same as "within the specified range."

This may lead them to select Choice B (97.6°F).

The Bottom Line:

This problem tests careful attention to precise language ("inclusive") and systematic constraint checking. Success requires translating English descriptions into mathematical conditions and then methodically applying those conditions to eliminate incorrect choices.