One way to make sure you get questions like these right is to plug in some values to see which equation makes sense. For example, you might choose to plug in 0 for h here because you know that at zero feet above sea level the boiling point should be 212° F.

Choices C and D don’t give you 212 when h = 0, so they’re definitely wrong!

Now plug in 1000 for h. We should expect the right equation to do what the question says—the boiling point should be (212 – 1.84)° F = 210.16° F. Which remaining choice, A or B, does that when you plug in 1000 for h?

Choice A gives you a crazy low number: 212 – 1.84(1000) = –1628.

Choice B does exactly what you want: 212 – (0.00184)(1000) = 210.16

So the answer is B.

To get this without plugging in, you should think about the elements of the language you’re translating into math. You want to start at 212, and subtract 1.84 degrees for every thousand feet (h/1000), so you might write this to start:

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From there, a little manipulation lands you on the right answer choice:

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My recommendation, though: plug in. With a little practice you’ll get very fast at it, and then questions like this go from head scratchers to gimmies.

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