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What Is the Degree Difference Between Celsius vs Fahrenheit?

Temperature may be more important than you think. When you decide in the morning whether to wear a sleeveless shirt or a down coat, you're thinking of temperature. When you get in your car, one of the first dials you reach for will be "climate control." And when you buy or cook a meal, you know that food served at the wrong temperature may not be palatable--or even safe. Given the importance of temperature to daily life, it is not surprising there is more than one way of measuring temperature.

Fahrenheit and Celsius
- A German scientist and instrument maker, Gabriel Fahrenheit, invented the Fahrenheit scale in 1724. He used three points to establish his scale--the temperature of water, ice and salt (30 degrees Fahrenheit); the temperature of boiling water (212 F); and what was thought at the time to be the temperature of the human body (96 F). Later, Fahrenheit designated 32 F as the freezing point of water so 180 degrees would separate the freezing and boiling points of water. In 1747, Swedish scientist Anders Celsius proposed a temperature scale that used 0 to designate the boiling point of water and 100 to indicate the freezing point of water. The scale, originally called "centigrade," was later reversed to make 0 degrees the freezing point of water. It was named after Anders Celsius in 1948.
Mathematical Degree Difference, Fahrenheit to Celsius
- The degree difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius is five-ninths of the difference of the temperature in Fahrenheit and 32. For example, if the temperature in Fahrenheit is 57, subtract 32 from 57 and multiply the answer times five-ninths: (57 - 32) x 5/9 = 13.8. A temperature of 57 F is 13.8 C. Because five-ninths is equal to 0.55, we can also express this mathematical difference by saying there is a 32-degree difference between the two scales, with one degree on the Fahrenheit scale equal to 0.55 degrees on the Celsius scale.
Mathematical Degree Difference, Celsius to Fahrenheit
- The degree difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit is 32 plus nine-fifths of the temperature in Celsius. For example, if the temperature in Celsius is 17, add 32 to the product of 17 and nine-fifths: (17 x 9/5) + 32 = 62.6. A temperature of 17 C is 62.6 F. Because nine-fifths is equal to 1.8, we can also express this mathematical difference by saying there is a 32-degree difference between the two scales, with one degree on the Celsius scale equal to 1.8 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale.
Degree Difference, Graphically
- On a sheet of paper, use a ruler marked in centimeters to draw two vertical lines next to each other. On the bottom of the first line, make a mark and label the mark 0 degrees Celsius. Measure 1 cm up from this mark and make another mark, labeling it 10 degrees Celsius. Continue measuring and marking until you reach 100 degrees Celsius. On the second line, place a mark directly opposite 0 degrees Celsius on the first line and label it 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Do the same opposite the 100 degrees Celsius mark, but label this mark 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Place nine more marks between 32 degrees and 212 degrees on the second line. Each mark should be directly opposite a mark on the Celsius line. Label the marks, beginning with the first mark above 32 degrees, 50 degrees, 68 degrees, 86 degrees, 104 degrees, 122 degrees, 140 degrees, 158 degrees, 176 degrees and 194 degrees. Compare the two scales. You will find that a 10-degree difference (0 to 10) on the Celsius scale equals an 18-degree difference (32 to 50) on the Fahrenheit scale.

Nature