Fahrenheit vs. Celsius

[ButterflyBlood]

Poll question: Fahrenheit vs. Celsius

There was an argument with some Canadians on another board about this.

Fact is, I like Fahrenheit better. The freezing and boiling points of water don't matter when I want to know what the weather's like outside, I know that 0 is really cold, and 100 is really hot. A lot more varied and easier to tell the difference than the difference from 15 and 30 Celsius.

[GainesT1958]

1. What could be simpler than...

Water freezing at "0", and boiling at "100"?

Keep in mind...we already use Metric MONEY!:D

B-)

[TX-RAT]

28. boiling at 100?

At what elevation?

[Canadian_moderate]

2. No brainer

Metric measurements are superior.

Change is not a bad thing. Let go of those odd pounds, miles, inches, ounces, etc. Move on already!

[Sandpiper]

13. While metric conversions are easier

My beef with the system is that it's measurements are either too small for everyday use (centimeters), or too large (meters).

[Canadian_moderate]

18. you can use decimetres. ;o)

In Europe it is common to use cl rather than ml for volume (eg. beer bottles).

[Sandpiper]

19. For me, it depends on what's being measured

For liquid measurements, I love the metric system.

If I'm getting measured for clothes, give my non metrics. Inches and feet are units based on the human body.

For outside temperature, it doesn't really matter. I lived in Brazil for a while so I learned how to convert Celcius to Farenheit and vice versa.

[bubblesby2002]

33. Hey Canadian_moderate

Hi how are you? I agree with your post. I find it easier to use celcius and metric.:hi:

[Canadian_moderate]

39. Thanks for the kiss Bubbles! ;o)

[bubblesby2002]

40. You're welcome

nt

[LDS Jock]

3. Celsius

Lets share the same world standard. Should use all metric system measurements.

[Loonman]

4. Metric is lame

So says I.

[HEyHEY]

9. We fear what we cannot understand Loonman

;-)

[Loonman]

23. No, I understand, I just refuse to

;)

[Drifter]

5. Fahrenheit is more accurate (whole numbers) ...

There are are 100 steps between boil and freeze with Celsius.
There are are 180 steps between boil and freeze with Fahrenheit.

Which is better ? depends on what you are used to.

It depends on which on you are fluent in.

Typically, when you learn a new scale (like a language), you convert it to what you already know. As time and practise progresses you can learn to use the other fluently (without need to convert it).

Cheers
Drifter

[Guy_Montag]

6. Kelvin n/t

[MercutioATC]

7. You forgot about Fahrenheit 451...

...the temperature at which books burn.

[TrogL]

8. Celsius is easy

0 is freezing
23 is room temperature
anything over 30 is hot
anything over 40 is too damn hot
anything over 50 you are in hell

or the other direction

0 is freezing
-10 wear a light jacket
-20 wear a heavy jacket
-30 wear a parka
-40 it's too damn cold - take necessary precautions
-50 hell froze over

[ps1074]

11. TrogL - a small correction

at -10 you don't wear a light jacket. You wear it at 0-10 degrees. At -10 you wear a heavy jacket :)

[TrogL]

25. No, you wear a heavy jacket

I wear a light jacket.

Wimp!

[beyurslf]

12. -10 C and you wear a light jacket?

Where I am from even at freezing (32 degrees) we wear coats! A light jacket is at 60 F.

[TrogL]

27. Up here we sunbathe in below-zero conditions

Bikini-skiing is popular.

[ps1074]

10. I voted celcius

Water boils at 100 degrees, freezes at 0 degrees. So when we have minus temps in the winter I know it's really cold. Normal human temperature is 37 degrees.

Same with meters and centimeters - much easier - 100 cm is 1 meter. 1000 meter is 1 killometer. No inches and feet and yards and miles. Too complicated for me.

[Canadian_moderate]

17. I'm comfortable with both

but much prefer the simplicity and logic of metric measurements.

The funny thing is that I grew up in the Netherlands (metric), moved to Canada in 1982 and had to familiarize myself with the imperial system eventhough Canada converted in the 70's.

Most people here still used inches, feet and pounds, yet they use litres and kilometres. It's rather strange after all these years.

[beyurslf]

14. F. Had to break the 10-10 tie.

[ZenLefty]

15. Fahrenheit. I like to confuse all those snotty Yurpeans.

:D

[Van Helsing]

16. As a scientist, I prefer celsius.

I know how it works. The rest of the world uses it. Why can't the U.S.? It's quite simple...0 degrees C = water freezing (32F), 100 degrees C = water boiling (212F).

But a temperature scale I would love to use would be Kelvin. As a scientist, I use Kelvin more than any of the other two.

[kitkatrose]

20. Kelvin's the shit!!!!!!

:D What type of scientist are you. I'm studying for a bio degree.

[Van Helsing]

22. Geology and Chemistry here!

Wh00t!

[kitkatrose]

24. Ewww Chemistry.

I have a chem II exam tomorrow. Really not looking forward to it, but amazingly I enjoyed the class; the concepts were interesting, with the possible exception of thermodynamics.

[Van Helsing]

26. Yeah...Chemistry kinda blows.

I may just drop the whole chemistry part of my major and just stick to Geology. Working in a lab all day isn't my thing...I prefer to be outdoors.

Good luck on your Chem exam tomorrow!

[Donkeyboy75]

30. Hey!

I'm finishing up my Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry. It's the shit!

And Celsius beats the hell out of Fahrenheit.

:headbang:

[Van Helsing]

31. Bioorganic Chemistry???

Ouch. You're right...it is shit. :evilgrin:

I prefer working out in the great outdoors than sitting in a lab all day. That's why I'm dropping my chem major.

[Donkeyboy75]

35. I agree, it would be fun to work outside.

Good luck to ya. :hi:

[Van Helsing]

37. Good luck to you too!

:hi:

[kitkatrose]

45. Thanks.

I second the chem drop; you'll probably be happier later. :)

[baldguy]

21. tough choice

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686 - 1736)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/fahrenheit_daniel_gabriel.shtml

Anders Celsius (1701 - 1744)
http://www.astro.uu.se/history/Celsius_eng.html

[JVS]

29. Although I normally back metric measurements...

I have to pick fahrenheit in this contest. At least as far as giving weather conditions goes. The F system basically gives you a rating of how hot the day will be an a scale of 0-100, getting out of that boundary is unlikely. Centigrade on the other hand gives you a scale of about -20 - 34 (or thereabouts) which seems awkward for outside temperatures. In cooking though I could seen celsius as being superior.

[Donkeyboy75]

32. Trivia question.

Just as Celsius is based on a 0 and 100 degree scale (the freezing and boiling point of water at 1 atm), Fahrenheit was also originally based on a 0 degree and 100 degree scale. In other words, these were the standards. Does anyone know what Lord Fahrenheit chose as the definition of 0 and 100 degrees?

[JVS]

34. 100 was supposed to be body temperature

lemme think on 0

[Donkeyboy75]

36. ding ding ding. nice one.

0 is tougher.

[ironflange]

38. I believe

0 F was the coldest temperature they could produce artificially in Fahrenheit's time, prolly using ice and salt.

[JVS]

41. yup, I looked it up

[Donkeyboy75]

42. Damn, DUers are smart.

Or their brains are just stuffed with useless information. Yes, 0 was called "absolute zero," as they thought it was the lowest attainable temperature. :bounce:

[ironflange]

44. It's the "stuffed with useless information" one

Mrs. Ironflange likes to remind me of that. Our daughter has that kind of brain, too.

[northzax]

43. farenheit

no question. while celsius is more useful sceintifically, it's much less useful in the real world. Since Farenheit degrees are smaller than celsius, it allows for more expression of variation. in addition, when you think about it, 32 and 212 are just as arbitrary as 0 and 100, especially since few of us are exactly at sea level, so those numbers are irrelevant anyway.

[Bill McBlueState]

46. I prefer Kelvin

None of those pesky minus signs to deal with if you need to report the temperature of your favorite molecular cloud.



</dork>

[ProfessorGAC]

47. What About Rankein?

Same advantages, and bigger numbers for cosmological study. Never caught on, did it?
The Professor