Show  If you live in one of the few countries that use the Fahrenheit temperature scale (that would be the United States, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Liberia, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands), you may not be used to dealing in Celsius. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t pop up from time to time, like in recipes from other parts of the world or on a trip to Canada...or literally anywhere else not listed above. You may have learned how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius (and vice versa) during your elementary school math class, but there’s a good chance you don’t remember how to do that today. Thankfully, Reddit user quaxon shared a dead-simple method for converting between Fahrenheit and Celsius in your head with no need for a calculator. Android: Unit conversion apps are a bit of a bore, but Convert Everything takes the concept to a… Read moreG/O Media may get a commission The formula to convert between the two temperature scales isn’t something most of us can do in our head, but if you just need a close estimation, quaxon’s formula works well:
As you can see from quaxon’s example it’s not an exact result, but if you simply need to convert some temperatures when you’re cooking or following other directions it works great in a pinch. Or, you can do what everyone else does and do the conversion on your phone, a computer or even a dedicated app. You already know Google has awesome calculator and conversion tools on its search page. A quicker… Read moreThis story was originally published on 6/11/12 and was updated on 6/21/19 to provide more thorough and current information. Read more! View full discussionWant Lifehacker’s email newsletter?
A hot day means something very different temperature-wise in Fahrenheit and Celsius. mikroman6/Getty Images Depending on where you live in the world, you either use the Fahrenheit or the Celsius temperature scale. Converting between the two is easier than you may expect. A couple of simple formulas can help you estimate or exactly convert between the temperature scales. If you're living in the United States, you're probably accustomed to reading temperatures in Fahrenheit. On a summer day with the sun beating down on you, it may feel like almost 100 degrees, while a winter day may feel closer to 40 degrees. Yet, if you were living in almost any other country in the world, you're likely used to reading temperatures in Celsius. In this case, 40 degrees describes a hot summer day, while zero degrees would be more typical of a winter day. The Fahrenheit scale was created by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724. He originally created the scale to measure temperature using mercury thermometers, which he also invented. The Celsius scale was created by Anders Celsius in 1742. But when the scale was first introduced, Celsius used the reverse of today's scale. He labeled 0 as the boiling point of water and 100 as the freezing point. After Celsius' death, Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus flipped the Celsius scale into what it is today, making 100 represent boiling temperature and 0 as the freezing point.
Here is how to convert °F to °C. This is actually Fahrenheit to Celsius and not Fahrenheit to Celcius, though the mis-spellings of the temperature scales are common. So are the temperature scales, which are used to measure room temperature, body temperature, set thermostats, and take scientific measurements. Fahrenheit finds use in the United States, while Celsius is used worldwide. The temperature conversion is easy to do:
The formula to convert °F to °C is: T(°C) = (T(°F) - 32) × 5/9 which is T(°C) = (T(°F) - 32) / 1.8 For example, convert 68 degrees Fahrenheit into degrees Celsius: T(°C) = (68°F - 32) × 5/9 T(°C) = 20 °C It's also easy to do the conversion the other way, from °C to °F. Here, the formula is: T(°F) = T(°C) × 9/5 + 32 T(°F) = T(°C) × 1.8 + 32 For example, to convert 20 degrees Celsius to the Fahrenheit scale: T(°F) = 20°C × 9/5 + 32 T(°F) = 68 °F When doing the temperature conversions, one quick way to make certain you did the conversion right is to remember Fahrenheit temperatures are higher than the corresponding Celsius scale until you get down to -40°, which is where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales meet. Below this temperature, degrees Fahrenheit are lower than degrees Celsius.
In every science class, you must know how to use and interpret the Celsius temperature scale. But this can be difficult for students who are used to using Fahrenheit instead. How do you convert Celsius to Fahrenheit? What about Fahrenheit to Celsius? We answer these questions below, giving you the mathematical formulas for converting between these two temperature units, a handy conversion chart, and a quick conversion trick you can use without having to grab a calculator. Celsius vs Fahrenheit: Key DifferencesBefore we explain how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (and Fahrenheit to Celsius), let’s review the main differences between the two temperature scales. Celsius (written as °C and also called Centigrade) is the most common temperature scale in the world, used by all but five countries. It’s part of the International System of Units (SI), or what you might know as the metric system, which is typically used in science classes (think centimeters, meters, kilograms, milliliters, etc.) and in science as a whole. By contrast, Fahrenheit (written as °F) is only used officially by five countries in the world:
Fahrenheit is not part of the metric system; rather, it’s part of the Imperial system, which includes forms of measurements such as inches, feet, pounds, gallons, etc. Moreover, unlike Celsius, it is not typically used in science. Celsius to Fahrenheit FormulaUnfortunately, converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit isn’t easy to do quickly or in your head. Here are the formulas used to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and Fahrenheit to Celsius. These formulas will give you the exact conversion from one unit of temperature to the other: Celsius to Fahrenheit Formula: (°C * 1.8) + 32 = °F Fahrenheit to Celsius Formula: (°F - 32) / 1.8 = °C For example, say the temperature outside is 18 °C and you want to know what this would equal in Fahrenheit. Here’s how your equation would look once you plug in 18 for °C: (18 * 1.8) + 32(32.4) + 32 =64.4 °F Here’s another example if you want to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius: say you’re feeling ill and your body temperature is 101.3 °F. To find out what this equals in Celsius, simply plug 101.3 into the °F part in the second equation written above: (101.3 - 32) / 1.8 (69.3) / 1.8 =38.5 °C As you can see, these conversions aren’t particularly hard to carry out, but they do take some time and aren’t the easiest to do without a calculator on hand. Luckily, there’s a shortcut. By memorizing some of the most common temperatures that come up in daily life, you should have no problem being able to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice versa. We’ll take a look at how to do this next. Celsius to Fahrenheit Conversion ChartBelow is a conversion chart listing some of the most commonly used temperatures in everyday life when converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit. Memorize these and you’re sure to have an easier time converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit (and vice versa) fast. Note: I’ve bolded all temperatures that don’t apply to weather but are still important to know, especially for science class.
Source: NIST.gov *The point at which the two temperature units are equivalent (-40 °C = -40 °F). As you can see from this chart, Fahrenheit temperatures are typically a lot higher than their equivalent Celsius temperatures are. Also, notice how the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit starts to get smaller the lower you go in temperature—until, that is, they're the exact same! As the chart indicates, -40 °C is the same temperature as -40 °F. This point is called parity, meaning the two scales use the same value to represent the same temperature. Unfortunately (or fortunately, since this is pretty cold!), you likely won’t come across this temperature in your daily life. Note that parity only happens at -40°. The lower you go after parity (i.e., the further you go into the negatives), the bigger the difference starts to become again between Celsius and Fahrenheit. How to Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit: Quick TrickIf you find yourself needing to quickly convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, here is a simple trick you can use: multiply the temperature in degrees Celsius by 2, and then add 30 to get the (estimated) temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. This rule of thumb is really useful and also pretty accurate for most weather-related temperatures. For example, if the temperature outside is 15 °C, this would come out to around 60 °F: (15 * 2) + 30(30) + 30 = 60 °F (In reality, 15 °C is equivalent to 59 °F—that’s pretty close!) Of course, expect the actual temperature to be a few degrees off, but for the most part, this is a reliable and easy way to convert temperatures in your head fast. If you want to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, do the opposite: subtract 30 from the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, and then divide by 2 to get the temperature in degrees Celsius. For example, if the temperature outside is 84 °F, this would be roughly equal to 27 °C: (84 - 30) / 254 / 2 = 27 °C (In reality, 84 °F is equivalent to 28.89 °C—again, that’s a pretty close estimate!). What’s Next?Are you studying clouds in your science class? Get help identifying the different types of clouds with our expert guide. Now that you know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, the next question to answer is what kinds of spiders live in what sorts of climates? Learn more with our articles about camel spider myths and reasons not to fear the garden spider. Want even more practice with conversions? (Who wouldn't?) Learn how many cups 4 quarts is here. Working on a research paper but aren't sure where to start? Then check out our guide, where we've collected tons of high-quality research topics you can use for free. Need help with English class—specifically with identifying literary devices in texts you read? Then you'll definitely want to take a look at our comprehensive explanation of the most important literary devices and how they're used.
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