Celsius and Fahrenheit — A Brief History
The Celsius scale was proposed by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1742. It originally set 0° as the boiling point of water and 100° as the freezing point — the reverse of today's convention, which was established after Celsius's death. Today, Celsius is the standard temperature scale used by most of the world and in all scientific contexts.
The Fahrenheit scale was developed by German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724. It remains in everyday use in the United States and a handful of other territories. Most of Europe uses Celsius officially for all everyday and official purposes.
Key reference points: water freezes at 0°C / 32°F and boils at 100°C / 212°F at sea level. Normal body temperature is approximately 37°C / 98.6°F. A comfortable room temperature is around 20°C / 68°F.
Formula
To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32. To convert to Kelvin: K = °C + 273.15. Kelvin is the SI base unit for thermodynamic temperature, where 0 K is absolute zero — the coldest possible temperature.
Related Calculators
- Fahrenheit to Celsius — Convert °F to °C with Kelvin reference.
- Kilograms to Pounds — Convert kg to lb and stones & pounds.
- Centimetres to Inches — Convert cm to inches and feet.