How to Find Celsius

The Celsius temperature scale was invented by Anders Celsius (1701-1744), a Swedish astronomer. It is also called the centigrade scale, since each degree is equal to 1/100 of the difference between the freezing point (0 degrees Celsius) and boiling point (100 degrees Celsius) of water. In the Fahrenheit system, invented by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees. Converting Fahrenheit temperatures to Celsius takes only a simple calculation.

Instructions

1. Measure the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature.

3. Multiply that result by 5.

4. Divide by 9 to find the Celsius temperature.

Tips & Warnings

• You can convert Fahrenheit to Celsius easily in your head by subtracting 30 from the Fahrenheit temperature and halving it. This will provide a close approximation, although not an exact conversion.

• Another way to approximate Celsius temperatures is to know what different temperatures feel like. 10 degrees Celsius is cold (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit), 20 degrees is room temperature (about 70 degrees Fahrenheit) and 30 is hot (about 90 degrees Fahrenheit).

References

• Temperature Conversion: Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius
• Inventors: The History Behind the Thermometer
• USMA: Metric System Temperature