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Celsius temperature scale

Alternative Titles: °C, centigrade temperature scale

Celsius temperature scale, also called centigrade temperature scale, scale based on 0° for the freezing point of water and 100° for the boiling point of water. Invented in 1742 by the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius, it is sometimes called the centigrade scale because of the 100-degree interval between the defined points. The following formula can be used to convert a temperature from its representation on the Fahrenheit (°F) scale to the Celsius (°C) value: °C = 5/9(°F − 32). The Celsius scale is in general use wherever the metric system of units has been adopted, and it is used in scientific work everywhere.

  • Most modern thermometers are graduated with both the Celsius temperature scale and the Fahrenheit …
    © Myotis/Shutterstock.com

Celsius used 0° for the boiling point of water and 100° for the melting point of snow. This was later inverted to put 0° on the cold end and 100° on the hot end, and in that form it gained widespread use.

Learn More in these related articles:

Anders Celsius, detail from a drawing by an unknown artist, 18th century.
November 27, 1701 Uppsala, Sweden April 25, 1744 Uppsala astronomer who invented the Celsius temperature scale (often called the centigrade scale).
international decimal system of weights and measures, based on the metre for length and the kilogram for mass, that was adopted in France in 1795 and is now used officially in almost all countries.
...the definition of equality of temperature in hand, it is possible to establish a temperature scale by assigning numerical values to certain easily reproducible fixed points. For example, in the Celsius (°C) temperature scale, the freezing point of pure water is arbitrarily assigned a temperature of 0 °C and the boiling point of water the value of 100 °C (in both cases...
Celsius temperature scale
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