this post was submitted on 06 May 2025
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What the fuck is a Fahrenheit? (feddit.org)
submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Yes it does.

Fahrenheit decided that we should use a scale based on what humans feel like is the full range of sensible temperatures, with that range set to 0 through 100.

Celsius decided that we should use a scale based on what liquid water feels like is the full range of sensible temperatures, with that range set to 0 through 100.

Kelvin decided that we should use a scale based on what atoms feel like is the the full range of sensible temperatures, with that range set to 0 through NaN (exception thrown).

So, chemists the world over like to use one of a couple of different scales depending on whether they are primarily concerned with the world defined by water, or the world defined by atoms, because it's convenient to use scales that are generally aligned with the feelings and behaviors of the entities you are concerned with.

And then sometimes humans come into the room, and say hey those are cool but also I'd like to use a scale that is generally aligned with the feelings and behaviors of humans, and for some reason everyone in this thread falls down on the ground and starts screaming and wailing, saying they are wrong and stupid for wanting to do that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Kelvin decided that we should use a scale based on what atoms feel like is the the full range of sensible temperatures, with that range set to 0 through NaN (exception thrown).

There's actually a theoretical maximum temperature.

The mathematically perfect scale goes from zero to one T~P~.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Celsius has nothing to do with feeling.

Celius simply set two logical endpoint of the scale, 0 when water freezes into ice and 100 when it boils into steam.

It has nothing to do with feeling.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Do you know how Fahrenheit arrived at the two points of his scale? It was not because he conducted experiments upon his feelings.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Interesting, in my last two comments, I have not mentioned Fahrenheit, I have simply said that Celsius did not build his scale based on feelings.

I refrained from bringing up F because as I tried to explain in my initial comment on this post, it doesn't matter, neither of us will ever change our minds that the temperature scale we grew up with is not the best.

This argument about weather one temperature scale is better than the other for day to day use is stupid, I use C, you use F, lets leave it at that.