Fahrenheit

The Fahrenheit (°F) temperature scale is used for measuring temperature in the US customary system of measurement. It is primarily used in the US and its territories. Most other countries use the Celsius scale.

What is Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit is a unit of temperature that is considered part of the imperial system of measurement. It is the unit of measurement in the Fahrenheit scale, named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, who proposed the scale in 1724.

Fahrenheit definition

The Fahrenheit scale is defined based on the freezing point and boiling point of water:



In the Celsius scale, the freezing point of water is 0 °C and the boiling point is 100 ° C.

History of the Fahrenheit

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit was a Dutch physicist who invented the mercury-based thermometer in 1714. He later developed a temperature scale based on the boiling point and freezing point of water and published a paper describing said scale in 1724. In the same year, Fahrenheit was inducted into the United Kingdom's national science academy, the Royal Society. Consequently, Fahrenheit's thermometer and temperature scale grew in use and acceptance in the UK, and also became used in the United States and throughout the British Empire.

Why is Fahrenheit used

Although most countries around the world have adopted the Celsius temperature scale over the Fahrenheit, Fahrenheit is still used in countries such as the United States, its territories, the Bahamas, Belize, the Cayman Islands, and more. One possible reason is due to the larger size of each degree Celsius. Since each degree Fahrenheit is smaller, the scale is more intuitive, particularly for describing outdoor temperatures where 100°F is a hot summer day and 0°F is a cold winter day.

Converting Fahrenheit to Celsius

Since most of the world uses the Celsius scale, it can be useful to know how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius. Using f to mean temperature in Fahrenheit, and c to be temperature in Celsius, converting between the two scales can be done using the following formulas.

Fahrenheit to Celsius converter

The following converter can be used to convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius or Celsius to Fahrenheit. Just enter a value in either Fahrenheit or Celsius to convert between the two.


Fahrenheit
Celsius
   

Below are some Fahrenheit to Celsius and Celsius to Fahrenheit examples.

Examples

1. Convert 37 °F to Celsius:

(37 - 32) × = 2.78 °C


2. Convert 44 °C to Fahrenheit:

(44 × ) + 32 = 111.2 °F

Fahrenheit to Kelvin

To convert between Fahrenheit and Kelvin (the base unit of temperature in the International System of Units), use the following formulas:




Table of key temperatures on different scales

The table below provides some notable temperatures in the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales.


  Fahrenheit (°F) Celsius (°C) Kelvin (K)
Absolute zero -459.67 -273.15 0
Freezing point of water 32 0 273.15
Boiling point of water 212 100 373.15

Fahrenheit vs Celsius

Although both the Fahrenheit and Celsius are temperature scales, they have many differences, some of which are described below.

Fahrenheit conversion chart

The following chart provides some conversions from Fahrenheit to both Celsius and Kelvin.


°F °C K
-58.0 -50 223.15
-49 -45 228.15
-40 -40 233.15
-31 -35 238.15
-22 -30 243.15
-13 -25 248.15
-4 -20 253.15
5 -15 258.15
14 -10 263.15
23 -5 268.15
32 0 273.15
41 5 278.15
50 10 283.15
59 15 288.15
68 20 293.15
77 25 298.15
86 30 303.15
95 35 308.15
104 40 313.15
113 45 318.15
122 50 323.15
131 55 328.15
140 60 333.15
149 65 338.15
158 70 343.15
167 75 348.15
176 80 353.15
185 85 358.15
194 90 363.15
203 95 368.15
212 100 373.15