There have been five main temperature scales, each one being named after the
person who invented it.
G D FAHRENHEIT (1686-1736) a German physicist, in about 1714 proposed the first
practical scale. He called the freezing-point of water 32 degrees (so as to
avoid negative temperatures) and the boiling-point 212 degrees.
R A F de REAUMUR (1673-1757) A French entomologist, proposed a similar scale in
1730, but set the freezing-point at 0 degrees and the boiling-point at 80
degrees. This was used quite a bit but is now obsolete.
Anders CELSIUS (1701-1744) a Swedish astronomer, proposed the 100-degree scale
(from 0 to 100) in 1742. This was widely adopted as the centigrade scale. But
since grades and centigrade were also measures of angle, in 1947 it officially
became the Celsius scale. Also, the S I system of units gives preference to
naming units after people where possible.
William Thomson, 1st Lord KELVIN (1824-1907) a Scottish mathematician and
physicist, worked with J P Joule - about 1862 - to produce an absolute scale of
temperature based on laws of heat rather than the freezing/boiling-points of
water. This work produced the idea of 'absolute zero', a temperature below which
it was not possible to go. Its value is -273.15 degrees on the Celsius scale.
William J M RANKINE (1820-1872) a Scottish engineer and scientist, promoted the
Kelvin scale in its Fahrenheit form, when the equivalent value of absolute zero
is -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nowadays, while scientists use the KELVIN scale, the CELSIUS scale is the
preferred scale in our everyday lives. However, the Fahrenheit scale is still
widely used and there frequently is a need to be able to change from one to the
other.
To change temperature given in Fahrenheit (F) to Celsius (C) C = (F - 32) x 5/9To change temperature given in Celsius (C) to Fahrenheit (F) F = C x 9/5 + 32To change temperature given in Celsius (C) to Kelvin (K) K = C + 273.15 |