Celsius is a temperature scale developed by a Swedish astronomer named Andres Celsius in 1742, where
the boiling point and the freezing points are 100 and 0 degrees, respectively. During that time, Andres
Celsius was not the only one who discovered a scaling temperature. Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, a
German-born scientist who lived in the Netherlands, developed the Fahrenheit temperature scale with
212 and 32 degrees as boiling and freezing point, respectively.
So, let’s say you are watching an American series and they said they want their thermostat at 72° Did
you wonder why do they want their temperature to be ssssuuuuuuuuuuuuper hot? Well they don’t
want it hot, they just are using a different temperature scale, different to the one we use here in the
Philippines. They are using Fahrenheit, while we use Celsius.
Most of the countries in the world use Celsius like us here in the Philippines as the standard
temperature scale, but some use Fahrenheit so we need to know how to convert.
If,
Freezing
Boiling
Celsius
0
100
Fahrenheit
32
212
So, if we will equate this, we will have the points (0,32) and (100,212)
we know that the formula for the equation of the line is
(y-y1) =
y2−y1
(x-x1),
x1−x1
where y2-y1/x1-x1 is the slope of the line
Substitute the values we have,
y2−y1
(y-y1) = x1−x1 (x-x1)
(y-0) =
100−0
(x-32)
212−32
100
y =180(x-32)
Simplify
5
9
y= (x-32)
Where y is the temperature in degrees Celsius, your output, and x is the temperature in degrees
Fahrenheit, your input. Since F is your input, it is the independent variable, while C, on the other hand,
will be the dependent variable. The value of C depends on the value of F. We can say that an increase in
the value of F, will cause an increase in the value of C. Therefore, the value of F is directly proportional
to the value of C.
So, for example, your aunt from the united states traveled to the Philippines, and she want to turn the
AC to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, but your AC has only a Celsius option. I will substitute 77 degrees
Fahrenheit to the formula and simplify
5
5
it will be (77 − 32)9=°C. Simplify, it will be (45)9=°C, then it will be 25°C, so if your aunt wants to turn
the AC into 77 degrees Fahrenheit, turn the AC to 25 degrees Celsius.
It is important to know how to convert temperature because some countries use different temperature
scale. It is also significant for scientist because Celsius is used in most scientific method. For example,
the Gas law that uses Kelvin. before we can convert to kelvin, we first need the temperature in Celsius
before we can convert it to Kelvin. so, it would be handy if we know how to convert Fahrenheit to
Celsius.