# Does the limited range in Celsius temps seem bizarre to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773 "2012-12-02T18:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/121 "2012-12-06T20:41:35Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The zero point of the Fahrenheit scale is essentially meaningless. It is not. Zero Fahrenheit is the temperature at which water ice is solid. Above zero, there is liquid water (at STP), below zero, there is only ice. Go out at 0 F and you will feel you nose hairs frost up instantly. This is important because above 0 F, any ice on the ground is considerably more dangerous to moving things because of the film of liquid lubricating its surface. But you are right, 32 is an incredibly difficult number to remember. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/122 "2012-12-06T20:44:07Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Celsius is fine for a scientific lab. Give me a Fahrenheit thermostat in my house. I agree wholeheartedly. For pretty much everything else, I think we Americans have been way overdue for converting to metric. 16 ounces in a pound and 2000 pounds in a ton, 12 inches in a foot and 5280 feet in a mile, 32 ounces in a quart and 4 quarts in a gallon - seriously, what IS this shit? But the Fahrenheit scale is just a good fit. In a temperate clime, temperatures at various times of year use up almost all of the [0,100] interval, but only occasionally go outside of it. And a 0-to-100 scale is an easy scale to grasp. The closest round-number equivalent on the Celsius scale is from -20 to 40. Seriously, keep it in the lab. ---
**Author:** ![yohan\_go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yohan_go/32/3620_2.png) [@yohan\_go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yohan_go)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/123 "2012-12-06T21:00:46Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > 100 mg? That must be a really small egg (a few mm in diameter)! Yes, I see your point. Never been much of a cook. Quick googlin revealed that should be about 50g. BUT I WANTED TO BE 1.0 METRICS! Altogether there is the point. Metrics is not ideal. It is logical as far you can count on your fingers. When it comes to squares brains have to jump in. And that hurts. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/124 "2012-12-07T16:20:50Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I agree wholeheartedly. > > For pretty much everything else, I think we Americans have been way overdue for converting to metric. 16 ounces in a pound and 2000 pounds in a ton, 12 inches in a foot and 5280 feet in a mile, 32 ounces in a quart and 4 quarts in a gallon - seriously, what IS this shit? > > But the Fahrenheit scale is just a good fit. In a temperate clime, temperatures at various times of year use up almost all of the [0,100] interval, but only occasionally go outside of it. And a 0-to-100 scale is an easy scale to grasp. The closest round-number equivalent on the Celsius scale is from -20 to 40. Seriously, keep it in the lab. Just to point out that a British ton is 2240lb (obviously you will all realise it is 20 hundredweight, each of 8 stones) šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/125 "2012-12-07T17:12:00Z")
> [@For You](#): > > It is not. Zero Fahrenheit is the temperature at which water ice is solid. Above zero, there is liquid water (at STP), below zero, there is only ice. Go out at 0 F and you will feel you nose hairs frost up instantly. This is important because above 0 F, any ice on the ground is considerably more dangerous to moving things because of the film of liquid lubricating its surface. But you are right, 32 is an incredibly difficult number to remember. 1. What? 2. I never said 32 was difficult to remember ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/126 "2012-12-07T17:18:35Z")
Weā€™re actually having a discussion on which temperature scale makes the most sense are we? Coming up next, kilograms versus pounds; be prepared for the scintillating debate! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/127 "2012-12-07T17:19:10Z")
The limited range of celcius temps means that we never get too hot or too cold, right? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/128 "2012-12-07T17:20:19Z")
The limited range of celcius temps is a good reason to hire permanent staff, right? ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/129 "2012-12-07T17:57:18Z")
> [@For You](#): > > It is not. Zero Fahrenheit is the temperature at which water ice is solid. Above zero, there is liquid water (at STP), below zero, there is only ice. Go out at 0 F and you will feel you nose hairs frost up instantly. This is important because above 0 F, any ice on the ground is considerably more dangerous to moving things because of the film of liquid lubricating its surface. But you are right, 32 is an incredibly difficult number to remember. I always thought water froze at 32F? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/130 "2012-12-07T18:12:21Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > I always thought water froze at 32F? Pure water at 1 atmosphere of pressure will. But add salts to the water and the freezing point goes down. With the right mix of water and calcium and sodium salts I believe you can get a solution that wonā€™t freeze until itā€™s about -4 fahrenheit. Generally, throwing salt on ice to melt it wonā€™t work if temperatures are under Zero fahrenheit. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/131 "2012-12-07T18:47:24Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > I always thought water froze at 32F? I think **For You** is saying that between 0F and 32F (-40C and 0C), ice always has a film of liquid water on it, but below that, it abruptly stops having a film of water on it. Sounds interesting, but Iā€™d not heard of this before - Iā€™d like to see a citation for it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/132 "2012-12-07T19:01:30Z")
Centigrade\* (Celsius asked that his system NOT be named after him) is actually a stupid system that isnā€™t grounded much in day to day reality. Nor is it any more ā€˜scientificā€™ than Fahrenheit- which also has 100 degrees (between lowest temp one can do with salt & ice water and human body, which really should be =100). Also note that 0 was supposed to be boiling and 100 freezing under Celsius original system. We donā€™t use the better and more useful Fahrenheit system simply because the French hated the English, and wanted to change everything they could. As Mangetout pointed out, Ce isnā€™t any more metric than F. Even tho, sure, knowing what temps certain states of water are achieved at, thereā€™s no reason that there needs to be 100 markers between them. 242 markers are just as handy. - Some groups changed over in 1948, others not until 1985, some still use the older term. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/133 "2012-12-07T19:53:51Z")
on the Celsius scale the arithmetic to find the degrees you are away from the boiling or freezing points is much quicker. science is much easier when it is in units of ten too. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/134 "2012-12-07T21:04:41Z")
When I was on vacation in Toronto this summer, the one bit of difficulty I had with understanding the weather forecasts was on the ā€œfine granularityā€ of the temperature forecasts. Iā€™m familiar enough with the Celsius scale that I get that 10 is cold, 20 is comfortable, 30 is hot. Iā€™m still not familiar enough with Celsius to know what 15 degrees C (as opposed to 20, or 25) means for what Iā€™ll need to wear to be comfortable. That said, I strongly suspect that, if I had to do the mental math for more than a few weeks, Iā€™d get used to it. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/135 "2012-12-07T22:30:39Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > on the Celsius scale the arithmetic to find the degrees you are away from the boiling or freezing points is much quicker. science is much easier when it is in units of ten too. Because, I really so very often _need_ to know how many more degrees it is until my pasta boils or my daiquiri freezes. :dubious: And the F scale is in units of tens just as much as the C scale is. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/136 "2012-12-26T14:40:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The weirdest thing is Celsius people live in this tiny range from -5 to 38C. Others have commented on this inaccuracy. I will simply say that it is -30 Celsius today in Regina and other parts of Saskatchewan. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/137 "2012-12-26T14:51:52Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Others have commented on this inaccuracy. I will simply say that it is -30 Celsius today in Regina and other parts of Saskatchewan. Weā€™re only -20 (the Big Lake they call Gitchigumi moderates our temp). At least it makes wax selection easy. Time to go ski! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773/138 "2012-12-26T15:29:49Z")
Ah crap ā€“ they still donā€™t have enough snow to open the main run. A friend who was in Toon Town just before Christmas promised to bring some back my way, but unfortunately, not enough. Might as welll catch up on work today instead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-limited-range-in-celsius-temps-seem-bizarre-to-you/642773.md?page=6)