What is the difference between Fahrenheit Celsius and centigrade?

Answer 1

Fahrenheit and Celsius scales both measure temperature in "degrees", but the value of a "degree" is different in the two scales. This is because the numerical values for the same temperature are different in each scale. It is possible to convert the temperature on one scale to the equivalent value on the other. (see related question) The Fahrenheit scale establishes the freezing and boiling points of water at 32 °F and 212 °F , while the Celsius scale lists these temperatures as 0°C and 100 °C. So a degree Fahrenheit is smaller, only 5/9 as large as a degree Celsius. 1.8 Fahrenheit degrees cover the same temperature scale as 1 Celsius degree. When a very high temperature is expressed in degrees C, the "number" is 1.8 times more in Fahrenheit.

Until fairly recently the Celsius scale was known as Centigrade as there were 100 degrees between the freezing and boiling points of water at sea level; it was renamed in honour of him. However, it is interesting to note that Celsius actually devised his scales the other way round with water boiling at 0° and freezing at 100°, but it was at his death that it was inverted to the way we use by Carolus Linneaus. The Celsius scale is now defined in terms of Absolute zero (0 K = -273.15°C) and the triple point of water (273.16 K = 0.01°C).