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:

• 32 °F (the freezing point of water)


• 212 °F (the 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: (f - 32) × = c
• Celsius to Fahrenheit: (c × ) + 32 = f

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.

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 vs Celsius

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

• The Fahrenheit is the temperature scale primarily used in the imperial system of measurement while the Celsius is the temperature scale used in most of the rest of the world.


• The Fahrenheit scale ranges from -459.67°F to 212°F while the Celsius scale ranges from -273.15°C to 100°C.


• Although the Fahrenheit scale is generally more intuitive in terms of measuring outdoor temperature due to its larger degree increments, the Celsius is generally more precise due to its smaller degree increments.


• Even in countries that still use the Fahrenheit, it is mostly used in contexts such as weather reporting, cooking, and various industrial processes. It is not really used in scientific contexts. Even in these countries, the Celsius or Kelvin are preferable as metric units of measurement.

Fahrenheit conversion chart

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