Newton to Fahrenheit
N
°F
Conversion History
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Quick Reference Table (Newton to Fahrenheit)
| Newton (N) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 32 |
| 6.6 | 67.999999999999999964 |
| 12.2 | 98.545454545454545388 |
| 22 | 151.99999999999999988 |
| 33 | 211.99999999999999982 |
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 Fahrenheit (°F)
Fahrenheit (°F) is the temperature scale used in the United States for everyday measurements such as weather, cooking, and body temperature. The scale was proposed by German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724. Its original reference points included the freezing point of a salt-water brine (0°F) and normal human body temperature (approximately 96°F in his calibration). Water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F at standard pressure — a 180-degree span, compared to 100 degrees in Celsius. Each Fahrenheit degree is therefore 5/9 of a Celsius degree. Fahrenheit remains the primary scale for US weather forecasts, oven temperatures, and thermostats.
Water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F. A hot summer day in the US is around 95°F; normal body temperature is 98.6°F.
Etymology: Named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), a German physicist and instrument maker based in Amsterdam. He invented the mercury-in-glass thermometer and proposed the scale in 1724. His zero was set at the lowest temperature he could reliably reproduce using a salt-ice mixture.
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.
Fahrenheit – Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the US use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius?
The United States adopted Fahrenheit in the colonial era when it was the dominant scientific scale. When the metric system spread through Europe in the late 18th and 19th centuries, the US did not follow. Multiple metrication attempts (notably in the 1970s) failed to gain public support, leaving Fahrenheit entrenched in daily life and infrastructure.
At what temperature are Fahrenheit and Celsius the same?
Fahrenheit and Celsius are equal at −40°. At that point −40°C = −40°F. This is the only temperature where the two scales intersect, arising naturally from the conversion formula: °F = °C × 1.8 + 32, which equals °C only when both sides solve to −40.
Why does Fahrenheit use 32 for freezing instead of 0?
Fahrenheit set his 0°F at the coldest temperature he could reliably reproduce — a salt-ice-water brine — so that everyday weather readings would never go negative in temperate Europe. Water's freezing point landed at 32°F and body temperature at 96°F (later corrected to 98.6°F). The seemingly odd number 32 is simply where water freezing fell on his scale after he anchored zero to the brine. The 32-to-212 span (180 degrees) also divides neatly by many factors, which suited 18th-century instrument makers.
What Fahrenheit temperature is considered dangerously hot for humans?
Internal body temperature above 104°F (40°C) is heat stroke territory — a medical emergency. Externally, a wet-bulb temperature of 95°F (35°C) is the theoretical limit of human survival because the body can no longer cool itself by sweating. Air temperatures above 130°F (54°C) have been recorded in Death Valley, but low humidity keeps wet-bulb values survivable there. In humid climates, even 110°F (43°C) air temperature can be lethal because moisture prevents sweat evaporation.
Why is body temperature 98.6°F and not a round number?
98.6°F is the Fahrenheit equivalent of 37°C, which is itself a rounded metric value. Fahrenheit introduced his scale before Celsius, so 37°C converting to a non-round Fahrenheit value is an artifact of the conversion arithmetic. In practice, normal body temperature varies from about 97°F to 99°F (36.1–37.2°C) across individuals and times of day.