Let t=0 be the time the boiling water is left in the room, and let T(t) be the temperature of the water t minutes later, so T(0)=100.
Using Newton's Law of Cooling, we model the temperature of the water at time t as
T(t)where A is the room temperature, and K is some constant. We are told that T(15)=85 and T(30)=73, so:85=T(15)73=T(30)Rearranging both equations:100−A85−A100−A73−AUsing these equations:(100−A85−A)2=(e15K)2100−A(85−A)2(85−A)2852−170A+A2173A−170A3AA=[100−A]eKt+A=[100−A]e15K+A=[100−A]e30K+A=e15K=e30K=(e15K)2=e30K=100−A73−A=73−A=(73−A)(100−A)=7300−173A+A2=7300−852=75=25
The room temperature is 25∘ C.