Fahrenheit

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

For years and years I have been wondering what that Fahrenheit scale is about. Nobody could explain it to me. Not even any American.

Now, I have finally found a web page that explains it all.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a891215.html

Have fun! :D

[dagwoood]

I've often wandered what the underlying logic of the Fahrenheit scale was, and it turns out there really wasn't any :)

Thanks for the link Pat.

[-pops-]

I was taught that zero Fahrenheit is the lowest temperature that can be produced by mixing ice and salt (sodium chloride - I doubt if there was much ammonium chloride around in those days) and that body temperature was 100. By extrapolation, this gave the freezing point of pure water at 32 and boiling point at 212. After adopting 32 and 212 as fixed points (because they could be measured easily and conveniently) the learned gentlemen of the day discovered that after taking numerous measurements of different people's body temperature, the mean came out at 98.4 degrees.

[andsome]

Now we all know.

[Tankus]

knowing that ..just makes my life worth living

[catgate]

Now here's an interesting point. We know that as things gets warmer they expand. Does this mean that those degrees occuring say around 90 degrees are bigger than those occuring down near zero????

And whilst on the topic of measurements, what about the Olde Englyshe Thou. There are, apparently, hundreds of them in an inch. What I am puzzled by is how they make them so small as to be able to pack so many of them into an inch. I have heard it claimed that each one of them is "exactly" the same size. Amazing.

The other puzzle is who puts them there in the first place.

[andsome]

Now here's an interesting point. We know that as things gets warmer they expand. Does this mean that those degrees occuring say around 90 degrees are bigger than those occuring down near zero????

And whilst on the topic of measurements, what about the Olde Englyshe Thou. There are, apparently, hundreds of them in an inch. What I am puzzled by is how they make them so small as to be able to pack so many of them into an inch. I have heard it claimed that each one of them is "exactly" the same size. Amazing.

The other puzzle is who puts them there in the first place.

Fred Ainsworthy the well known mathematician put them there. He claims that they all measure exactly one thousandth of an inch. They are completely flat unless you specially ask for thick ones, and that can be as thick or thin as you require.

[r4may]

Very interesting, though all I want to know, thesw days. is how cold or hot it is outside today :) :)

[andsome]

Very interesting, though all I want to know, thesw days. is how cold or hot it is outside today :) :)

Quite chilly

[doug]

Dr. Herr Fahrenheit was a German, which is why we adopted his scale for all our Imperial temperature measurements. Then the Europeans went and made us go metric, which is based on units that Napoleon had a hand in! The metre, I believe was originally one 10 millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the line of longitude drawn through Paris

[catgate]

The metre, I believe was originally one 10 millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the line of longitude drawn through Paris

Did they stop the traffic whilst this was done. I'll bet the man who drew the line got his knees covered in horse muck.

[Gandalph]

With a name like that I'd hope he was. :lol:

[Watchful]

Verrry interrresting!

[andsome]

You live and learn.

[r4may]

a mine of information these forums :0 :0

[Gandalph]

I think catgate forgot about the ten thousandths of an inch bit. There are ten of them between each thousandth. There must be a hell of a lot in and inch. :lol:

[catgate]

I think catgate forgot about the ten thousandths of an inch bit. There are ten of them between each thousandth. There must be a hell of a lot in and inch. :lol:

I seriously think someone is pulling your leg. There is insufficient room in there. And anyway who has counted them all? Some inches may have less,and other inches may have more, particularly if they are on the very thin side.

[Gandalph]

I think catgate forgot about the ten thousandths of an inch bit. There are ten of them between each thousandth. There must be a hell of a lot in and inch. :lol:

I seriously think someone is pulling your leg. There is insufficient room in there. And anyway who has counted them all? Some inches may have less,and other inches may have more, particularly if they are on the very thin side.

Lets not forget the Millionths of an inch catgate. They lie between the Ten thousandths and the Thousandths and there must be a lot more of them than anyone knows about. :unsure:

[catgate]

Lets not forget the Millionths of an inch catgate. They lie between the Ten thousandths and the Thousandths and there must be a lot more of them than anyone knows about. :unsure:

Go on, you're pulling my leg. Do you mean to say that they are in there as well as all the rest? Surely the molecules would revolt, due to being cramped, and kick them, and some of the others, out?

[Gandalph]

Go on, you're pulling my leg. Do you mean to say that they are in there as well as all the rest? Surely the molecules would revolt, due to being cramped, and kick them, and some of the others, out?

I'm not, honestly catgate. I was just sitting wondering how many there must be in a piece of string. :rolleyes:

[doug]

Well for starters the length of a piece of string is exactly twice the distance from the centre to either end. So just count them in one half and double it!

[dadyassa]

Go on, you're pulling my leg. Do you mean to say that they are in there as well as all the rest? Surely the molecules would revolt, due to being cramped, and kick them, and some of the others, out?

I'm not, honestly catgate. I was just sitting wondering how many there must be in a piece of string. :rolleyes:

You and catgate must have drawn the plans up when i worked on a contract at Tottenham gasworks, We were joining two vessels together with pipework, they were about 1/4 mile apart and the final pipe measurement on the drawing was 6 ft 4 and 3/8th of an inch :lol:

On the same job they had the cement mixer in a plant room and had to knock a wall down to get it out. :rolleyes:

[catgate]

I'm not, honestly catgate. I was just sitting wondering how many there must be in a piece of string. :rolleyes:

I should think there must be dozensof them, and hairy with it.

You and catgate must have drawn the plans up when i worked on a contract at Tottenham gasworks, We were joining two vessels together with pipework, they were about 1/4 mile apart and the final pipe measurement on the drawing was 6 ft 4 and 3/8th of an inch

On the same job they had the cement mixer in a plant room and had to knock a wall down to get it out.

This raises the thing that always used to puzzle me:- "Why are there so many bends in the roads?"

One day I found the answer. The people who order them order them too long, "just to be on the safe side", and then when they are delivered on the lorry, dropped onto the floor and rolled out, they have to put bends in them so as to use up the surplus and make a neat joint at each end.

[expertec]

This raises the thing that always used to puzzle me:- "Why are there so many bends in the roads?"

One day I found the answer. The people who order them order them too long, "just to be on the safe side", and then when they are delivered on the lorry, dropped onto the floor and rolled out, they have to put bends in them so as to use up the surplus and make a neat joint at each end.

Puzzled me too... thanks for that. :)

[Scarecrow Man]

Speaking of Fahrenheit. It's -1 right now! Although that means nothing to me, but -19 Celcius does! BRRRRRR!