Converting temperatures between Celsius and Fahrenheit
The United States uses Fahrenheit instead of Celsius like in Europe. To understand what the temperature really is in Celsius, here's everything you need to convert between the two scales!
What’s the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit?
- Check the weather on American news sites and you’ll notice the temperature numbers climb fast on the maps! The United States uses Fahrenheit, a temperature scale created in 1724 by German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit.
- Celsius, used in Europe, is much newer—it dates to 1948. The Celsius scale is based on a centigrade temperature system developed by Swedish physicist Anders Celsius in 1742. It’s interesting to note that Americans use a temperature scale that predates American independence by more than 50 years.
A quick formula to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius
- Here’s a practical shortcut: subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature, then divide by 1.8 to get Celsius. This works for all temperatures above freezing.
- Examples:
90°F − 32 = 58, then 58 ÷ 1.8 = 32°C
70°F − 32 = 38, then 38 ÷ 1.8 = 21°C
50°F − 32 = 18, then 18 ÷ 1.8 = 10°C
Conversion chart
- If mental math isn’t your thing, here’s a conversion table you can print:
0°F = −18°C
10°F = −12°C
20°F = −7°C
40°F = 4°C
50°F = 10°C
60°F = 15°C
70°F = 21°C
80°F = 27°C
90°F = 32°C