Difference Between Celsius and Fahrenheit

The key difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit is that in Celsius, water boils at 100°C while its freezing point is at 0°C whereas in Fahrenheit scale, water boils at 212°F while its freezing point is at 32°F. Celsius and Fahrenheit are scales and unit of measurement for temperature. These scales have been very useful in a lot of ways and used all over the world.

They have their respective relative values for freezing points and boiling points and it is important to note that in referencing freezing and boiling points, water is their basis.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Celsius
3. What is Fahrenheit
4. Relationship Between Celsius and Fahrenheit
5. Side by Side Comparison – Celsius vs Fahrenheit in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Celsius?

Celsius scale got its name from a Swedish astronomer named Andres Celsius who introduced science to his observation and discovery of two persistent degrees on a thermometer in 1742. At first the scale carried the name centigrade and reported as degrees centigrade, but because of some ambiguity issues with the name, it was resolved to use the pioneer’s name and formally adopted degrees Celsius with symbol °C as official. A lot of countries have adopted this system primarily because it is easy to use making it a standard in measuring temperature.

Figure 01: A Celsius Scale and Fahrenheit Scale in a Thermometer

Since 1954, the term Celsius is defined based on the absolute zero and triple point of a specially purified water; Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW).

• Triple point of VSMOW = 273.16 K or 0.01 °C
• Absolute zero = 0 K and or 273.15 °C

According to this definition, the Celsius scale exactly resembles the Kelvin scale if we consider the difference between two Celsius degrees and two kelvin values. However, one major effect of defining Celsius this way is that, the melting point or the boiling point of water does not remain at a defining point for Celsius scale at a given standard atmospheric pressure value.

What is Fahrenheit?

The Fahrenheit scale was proposed by a German physicist named Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724. This scale has been used primarily for climatic, industrial and medical purposes mostly in the West sometime in the 1960s. But somehow, converting to the Celsius scale has been common among countries, in certain applications and the like.

Still Fahrenheit scale has gained preferences among other countries such as the United States. Adopting this system actually minimizes recording negative readings of temperatures. Furthermore, 180 degrees of Fahrenheit equals 100 degrees of Celsius

What is the Relationship Between Celsius and Fahrenheit?

• We can convert a Celsius value into a Fahrenheit value using the below relationship:

[°F] = [°C] × ​9⁄5 + 32

• We can convert a Fahrenheit value into a Celsius value using the following relationship:

[°C] = ([°F] − 32) × ​5⁄9

What is the Difference Between Celsius and Fahrenheit?

Summary – Celsius vs Fahrenheit

The Celsius scale and Fahrenheit scale are two forms of temperature scales which are used in different countries differently. The difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit is that, in Celsius, water boils at 100°C while its freezing point is at 0°C whereas in Fahrenheit scale, water boils at 212°F while its freezing point is at 32°F.

Reference:

1. “Celsius.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 May 2018. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1.’Thermometer CF’By Gringer (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia  

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