Originally Posted by Oakvillian;

All centigrade means is that there are 100 degrees between the fixed points (i.e. for the Celcius scale, 0 is the freezing point and 100 is the boiling point of pure water at standard atmospheric pressure).

My physics teacher may have been winding us up when he explained that Fahrenheit was also originally a centigrade scale - the fixed points were the freezing point of a saturated saline solution (which isn't far off 0 degrees F) and the normal temperature of blood (but unfortunately Mr Fahrenheit was running a fever when he set the fixed point). Of course, the fixed points were subsequently defined as 32F and 212F to coincide with the fixed points on the Celcius scale.

I've never heard that about Fahrenheit anywhere before or since, so if anybody could enlighten me I'd be grateful...

Originally Posted by Novocastrian (Post 5677793)

That's right about the origin of the Fahrenheit scale. (Except for the fever embellishment, but I liked that best). ;)

Originally Posted by Zoe Bell (Post 5677812)

Actually the original Celsius scale (as proposed by Mr Celsius) had water boiling at 0 and freezing at 100

Originally Posted by daft batty (Post 5677437)

I've just spent 90 minutes doing the dirve and now the plow has come by again :curse: