The excruciating stupidity of Fahrenheit

Dreamwalker · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:58 pm

I was thinking about how weird and illogical the measurement systems used in the USA are, so I decided to wiki Fahrenheit. This is the story about how he came up with his scale.

Quote:

According to a journal article Fahrenheit wrote in 1724,[2] he based his scale on three reference points of temperature. The zero point is determined by placing the thermometer in brine: he used a mixture of ice, water, and ammonium chloride, a salt. This is a type of frigorific mixture. The mixture automatically stabilizes its temperature at 0 °F. He then put a thermometer into the mixture and let the liquid in the thermometer descend to its lowest point. The second point is the 32 degree found by putting the thermometer in still water as ice is just forming on the surface.[3] The third point, the 96 degree, was the level of the liquid in the thermometer when held in the mouth or under the armpit. Fahrenheit noted that, using this scale, mercury boils at around 600 degrees.

I rest my case. :-?

Link · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:42 pm

Personally I think Indigo Prophecy was a pretty sweet game.

mscupcakes · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:56 pm

Everything should be measured in Kelvin.
Since absolute 0 in Kelvin is actually 0 K rather than -273 ºC (or something close to that)
0 ºC = 273 K, 100 ºC = 373 K

I rest my case

Canuck · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:44 pm

Celsius is the simplest and therefore best :-D

Dreamwalker · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:11 pm

Link wrote:

Personally I think Indigo Prophecy was a pretty sweet game.

The game was awesome. True storytelling in a videogame is not something you see every day. I think they chose the name Fahrenheit because to start with, it's every bit as confusing as the scale, though. ;-)

songako · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:28 pm

I already use Kelvin more often than anything else (Yay for academics...). Celsius works fine too, the conversion from Celsius to Kelvin is a simple addition.

Mickey · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:44 pm

i use my own made up method of temperature i call :rabbid:

Lucrious · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:13 pm

Canuck wrote:

Celsius is the simplest and therefore best :-D

HELLS YEAH! :yuush:

Celsius is easy to understand but I haven't got the first freaking clue how Fahrenheit works

YutzWagon · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:09 am

Optimus Lucrious wrote:

Canuck wrote:

Celsius is the simplest and therefore best :-D

HELLS YEAH! :yuush:

Celsius is easy to understand but I haven't got the first freaking clue how Fahrenheit works

I am American and I agree with these posts.

Lady Zanthia · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:38 pm

Screw the metric system. :snooty:

nosebleed · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:49 pm

I wear a jacket when it gets cold or a sweater if it's not too cold.

Koari · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:13 pm

Dreamwalker wrote:

I was thinking about how weird and illogical the measurement systems used in the USA are, so I decided to wiki Fahrenheit. This is the story about how he came up with his scale.

Quote:

According to a journal article Fahrenheit wrote in 1724,[2] he based his scale on three reference points of temperature. The zero point is determined by placing the thermometer in brine: he used a mixture of ice, water, and ammonium chloride, a salt. This is a type of frigorific mixture. The mixture automatically stabilizes its temperature at 0 °F. He then put a thermometer into the mixture and let the liquid in the thermometer descend to its lowest point. The second point is the 32 degree found by putting the thermometer in still water as ice is just forming on the surface.[3] The third point, the 96 degree, was the level of the liquid in the thermometer when held in the mouth or under the armpit. Fahrenheit noted that, using this scale, mercury boils at around 600 degrees.

Whoever wrote that must have had his head up his ass. The original Fahrenheit scale was supposed to be from 0°F to 180°F, 180 signifying water's boiling point. This system was put in place before negative numbers were considered real numbers, so when he had the Salt Water mixture drop below the original 0°F, he freaked. Based on the incrementation, he was forced to add 32°F to the scale.

The Celsius came after the implementation of negative numbers, therefore after the Fahrenheit scale was already introduced. He figured, well we already have negative numbers, so just make 0°C the freezing point of water and 100°C The boiling point. It was no coincidence.

Oh and while I'm at it, 0 K, aka absolute zero, is merely an estimation. It is not possible to reach absolute zero because there is no way to stop molecules from vibrating (btw temperature is the measurement of molecular vibration).

So my stance, I use Fahrenheit for everyday life, Celsius in the lab.

Sevens1997 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:03 pm

Lady Zanthia wrote:

Screw the metric system. :snooty:

+1

Here's a question I heard a while ago: If God had meant us to go Metric, why did he give Jesus 12 disciples? :nyor:

kookkui · **Posted:** Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:40 pm

I know i hate that damn game.

wait.....

songako · **Posted:** Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:40 pm

Sevens1997 wrote:

Lady Zanthia wrote:

Screw the metric system. :snooty:

+1

Here's a question I heard a while ago: If God had meant us to go Metric, why did he give Jesus 12 disciples? :nyor:

He gave Moses the 10 commandments before Jesus chose 12 disciples. But we digress...

kookkui · **Posted:** Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:17 pm

songako wrote:

Sevens1997 wrote:

Lady Zanthia wrote:

Screw the metric system. :snooty:

+1

Here's a question I heard a while ago: If God had meant us to go Metric, why did he give Jesus 12 disciples? :nyor:

He gave Moses the 10 commandments before Jesus chose 12 disciples. But we digress...

And Jesus rose from his grave in 3 days!!!!! :-o

Wait what are we talking about?

Lady Zanthia · **Posted:** Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:20 pm

The metric system has never done anything for me. I measure Rowan's milk in ounces. The car is mile per gallon and I order a quarter pounder.

JasperValentine91 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:10 pm

Why must the world be separated and have two methods for everything? Why cant the world NOT have the metric system and just use CELSIUS FFS!

Fyodoror · **Posted:** Sat Sep 05, 2009 7:34 am

Not really on topic, but I always thought that Imperial measurements were just too random.
Like a foot is 12 inches, a mile is 5280 feet (WTF?)

I like the metric system because its simple and logical.
10mm = 1cm, 100cm = 1m, 1000m = 1km

But I guess that if you've lived your life with imperial measurements it makes more sense.

Lady Zanthia · **Posted:** Sat Sep 05, 2009 1:07 pm

Fyodoror wrote:

Not really on topic, but I always thought that Imperial measurements were just too random.
Like a foot is 12 inches, a mile is 5280 feet (WTF?)

I like the metric system because its simple and logical.
10mm = 1cm, 100cm = 1m, 1000m = 1km

But I guess that if you've lived your life with imperial measurements it makes more sense.

Actually, the metric measurements are not that hard to remember. It's just he conversion between the two that gets me confused. I know a caup is roughly 200 mL and a yard is about a meter but that's about it.

But yes, USA uses imperial and that's what we are taught from school-age n.

The excruciating stupidity of Fahrenheit

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