Newton to Delisle
N
°De
Conversion History
| Conversion | Reuse | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| No conversion history to show. | ||
Quick Reference Table (Newton to Delisle)
| Newton (N) | Delisle (°De) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 150 |
| 6.6 | 120.00000000000000003 |
| 12.2 | 94.54545454545454551 |
| 22 | 50.0000000000000001 |
| 33 | 0.00000000000000015 |
About Newton (N)
The Newton scale is an obsolete historical temperature scale proposed by Isaac Newton around 1701, predating both Celsius and Fahrenheit. It sets 0°N at the freezing point of water and 33°N at the boiling point — a 33-degree span. Newton chose 33 because it divides cleanly into thirds and twelfths, reflecting duodecimal arithmetic conventions of the time. Body temperature is approximately 12.2°N. Newton calibrated his scale using linseed oil as the thermometric fluid. His scale influenced later thermometrists but was never widely adopted and is today of primarily historical and educational interest, appearing in scientific history discussions and temperature conversion tools.
Body temperature (37°C) is approximately 12.2°N on Newton's scale. A warm summer day of 25°C equals about 8.25°N.
Etymology: Proposed by Isaac Newton (1643–1727) in his 1701 paper "Scala Graduum Caloris" (Scale of the Degrees of Heat), published anonymously in Philosophical Transactions. Newton used a linseed oil thermometer and calibrated it against the freezing point of water and body temperature, later extending it to a second reference at the boiling point.
About Delisle (°De)
The Delisle scale (°De) is a historical temperature scale with an inverted direction: higher Delisle values mean colder temperatures. Created by French astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle in 1732, it sets 0°De at the boiling point of water and counts upward as temperature falls; the freezing point is 150°De. This inversion arose because Delisle calibrated his mercury thermometer so that mercury contracted with cooling, measuring degrees of cooling from the boiling point rather than degrees of warmth above a cold reference. The scale was used extensively in Russia for most of the 18th century, notably by Mikhail Lomonosov, before being replaced by Celsius. Today it is an educational curiosity with no practical use.
Boiling water is 0°De; freezing is 150°De. A typical room at 20°C is 120°De. Absolute zero is approximately 559.73°De.
Etymology: Named after Joseph-Nicolas Delisle (1688–1768), a French astronomer who worked in St. Petersburg at the invitation of Peter the Great from 1726. He devised the scale in 1732 while in Russia, where it was adopted and remained in scientific use until the late 18th century when Celsius became standard.
Newton – Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the Newton temperature scale?
Isaac Newton proposed the scale in 1701 in his paper "Scala Graduum Caloris", published anonymously in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. He used a linseed oil thermometer and calibrated it against the freezing point of water and body temperature as fixed reference points.
What are the reference points of the Newton scale?
0°N is the freezing point of water and 33°N is the boiling point of water, giving a 33-degree range. Newton also used body temperature (approximately 12°N) and "the greatest summer heat" as intermediate calibration points. These are the same two endpoints used by later scales, just with different degree spans.
Why did Newton choose 33 degrees for boiling water?
Newton chose 33 because it factors neatly: 33 = 3 × 11, and one-third of 33 (11°N) corresponds approximately to body temperature in his calibration. The choice reflects his preference for divisions into thirds and twelfths, common in pre-metric scientific notation, rather than the decimal basis used by Celsius.
How does the Newton scale compare to Celsius?
Newton and Celsius share the same zero (freezing water = 0), but Newton's boiling point is 33°N versus 100°C. To convert: °N = °C × 33/100 (or × 0.33). Room temperature (20°C) is 6.6°N; body temperature (37°C) is 12.21°N.
Is the Newton temperature scale still used today?
No. The Newton scale was never widely adopted and fell out of use by the mid-18th century as Fahrenheit and Celsius became dominant. It survives today only in historical accounts of thermometry and in temperature conversion tools as an educational curiosity about the origins of quantitative temperature measurement.
Delisle – Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Delisle scale inverted?
Delisle calibrated his thermometer by observing how mercury contracted as it cooled from boiling water. He measured degrees of cooling rather than degrees of warmth — the scale counted how far the temperature had dropped from the boiling point. This made 0°De the starting reference (boiling) and larger numbers represent lower temperatures, the opposite of every other common scale.
What is the freezing point of water on the Delisle scale?
The freezing point of water is 150°De. The boiling point is 0°De. The scale spans 150 degrees between freezing and boiling — contrast with 100 degrees in Celsius or 180 degrees in Fahrenheit. To convert: °De = (100 − °C) × 1.5, so 0°C gives (100 − 0) × 1.5 = 150°De.
Who invented the Delisle scale and where was it used?
Joseph-Nicolas Delisle invented the scale in St. Petersburg in 1732, where he had been invited to work by Peter the Great. The scale was adopted by Russian scientists and used throughout the 18th century, particularly by Mikhail Lomonosov. It was later standardized by Joseph-Nicolas's colleague Joseph-Adam Braun, who fixed the two reference points.
How do you convert Delisle to Celsius?
Subtract the Delisle value from 100, then multiply by 2/3. Formula: °C = 100 − (°De × 2/3). For example, 150°De → 100 − (150 × 2/3) = 100 − 100 = 0°C (freezing). For 0°De → 100 − 0 = 100°C (boiling). Remember the scale is inverted: higher Delisle = colder temperature.
What other temperature scales run backwards like Delisle?
Delisle is the only well-known inverted temperature scale, but the concept appears elsewhere. Astronomical magnitude runs backwards (brighter stars have lower numbers). The Scoville scale for chilli heat is not inverted but is logarithmically compressed in a way that confuses people similarly. In thermometry, Delisle stands alone — every other scale (Celsius, Fahrenheit, Kelvin, Rankine, Newton, Rømer, Réaumur) increases with heat. The inversion made Delisle unintuitive, which is a key reason it lost out to Celsius.