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Measurement Systems (Part 2)
By
Peter Glen
We have a great many numbers and measuring systems around
us. Most of it we take for granted. But if we think about it, why 24
hours
a day? Why 360 degrees to the circle? Read on for the answers.
Perhaps one of the most disputed measurement system around
us is the temperature measurement. For example, our body temperature is
described with an odd looking number. Here is how it went.
After inventing the thermometer, physicist
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit attempted to establish a temperature scale
for
practical use. (1724) The two reference points he used was our body
temperature
and the freezing of dry ice. At the time, the freezing of the dry
ice was believed to be the coldest possible temperature, hence it was
marked
as zero. The body temperature was the other reproducible point, so he
marked
it as one hundred. However, at the point of measurement, the
reference
person had a slight fever. Which marked the reference point a touch
higher
then it should be. This is why, even today, three hundreds years after
the
fact, we are forced to live with the slightly off scale, and our normal
body
temperature is 98.6 degrees.
The most odd phenomena about
the mistake is how
we try to cover it up. Here is how an encyclopedia does it:
Fahrenheit originally used body
temperature (96°F)
and an ice/water/salt mixture (0°F) as his fixed reference points.
The
difference between these two reference temperatures, the melting and
boiling
points of water, is divided into 180 equal intervals called degrees.
The
freezing point is taken as 32°F and the boiling point as 212°F.
No disrespect towards the encyclopedia, but the right answer is
almost always the simplest one. And the encyclopedia's version is not
simple.
Finally, here is a conversion chart, just to make this document
complete on the subject.
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. °C.
-75 (-59.4)
-70 (-56.7)
-65 (-53.9)
-60 (-51.1)
-55 (-48.3)
-50 (-46.7)
-40 (-40.0)
-30 (-34.4)
-25 (-31.7)
-20 (-28.9)
-19 (-28.3)
-18 (-27.8)
-17 (-27.2)
-16 (-26.7)
-15 (-26.1)
-14 (-25.6)
-13 (-25.0)
-12 (-24.4)
-11 (-23.9)
-10 (-23.3)
-09 (-22.8)
-08 (-22.2)
-07 (-21.7)
-06 (-21.1)
-05 (-20.6)
-04 (-20.0)
-03 (-19.4)
-02 (-18.9)
-01 (-18.3)
00 (-17.8)
+1 (-19.2)
+2 (-18.9)
+3 (-19.4)
+4 (-15.6)
+5 (-15.0)
+6 (-14.4)
+7 (-13.8)
+8 (-13.3)
+9 (-12.8)
10 (-12.2)
11 (-11.7)
12 (-11.1)
13 (-10.6)
14 (-10.0)
15 (-09.4)
16 (-08.9)
17 (-08.3)
18 (-07.8)
19 (-07.2)
20 (-06.6)
21 (-06.1)
22 (-05.6)
23 (-05.0)
24 (-04.4)
25 (-03.8)
26 (-03.3)
27 (-02.8)
28 (-02.2)
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°F.
°C.
29 (-01.7)
30 (-01.1)
31 (-00.5)
32 (00.0)
33 (00.5)
34 (01.1)
35 (01.6)
36 (02.2)
37 (02.7)
38 (03.3)
39 (03.8)
40 (04.4)
41 (05.0)
42 (05.5)
43 (06.1)
44 (06.6)
45 (07.2)
46 (07.7)
47 (08.3)
48 (08.8)
49 (09.4)
50 (10.0)
55 (12.7)
60 (15.5)
65 (18.3)
70 (21.1)
75 (23.8)
80 (26.6)
85 (29.4)
90 (32.2)
91 (32.7)
92 (33.3)
93 (33.8)
94 (34.4)
95 (35.0)
96 (35.5)
97 (36.1)
98 (36.6)
98.6 (37.0)
99 (37.2)
100 (37.7)
101 (38.3)
102 (38.8)
103 (39.4)
104 (40.0)
105 (40.5)
106 (41.1)
107 (41.6)
108 (42.2)
109 (42.7)
110 (43.3)
111 (43.8)
112 (44.4)
113 (45.0)
114 (45.5)
115 (46.1)
116 (46.6)
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°F.
°C.
117 (47.2)
118 (47.7)
119 (48.3)
120 (48.8)
121 (49.4)
122 (50.0)
123 (50.5)
124 (51.1)
125 (51.6)
126 (52.2)
127 (52.7)
128 (53.3)
129 (53.8)
130 (54.4)
131 (55.0)
132 (55.5)
133 (56.1)
134 (56.6)
135 (57.2)
136 (57.7)
137 (58.3)
138 (58.8)
139 (59.4)
140 (60.0)
141 (60.5)
142 (61.1)
143 (61.6)
144 (62.2)
145 (62.7)
146 (63.3)
147 (63.8)
148 (64.4)
149 (65.0)
150 (65.5)
151 (66.1)
152 (66.6)
153 (67.2)
154 (67.7)
155 (68.3)
156 (68.8)
157 (69.4)
158 (70.0)
159 (70.5)
160 (71.1)
161 (71.6)
162 (72.2)
163 (72.7)
164 (73.3)
165 (73.8)
166 (74.4)
167 (75.0)
168 (75.5)
169 (76.1)
170 (76.6)
171 (77.2)
172 (77.7)
173 (78.3)
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°F.
°C.
174 (78.8)
175 (79.4)
176 (80.0)
177 (80.5)
178 (81.1)
179 (81.6)
180 (82.2)
181 (82.7)
182 (83.3)
183 (83.8)
184 (84.4)
185 (85.0)
186 (85.5)
187 (86.1)
188 (86.6)
189 (87.2)
190 (87.7)
191 (88.3)
192 (88.8)
193 (89.4)
194 (90.0)
195 (90.5)
196 (91.1)
197 (91.6)
198 (92.2)
199 (92.7)
200 (93.3)
201 (93.8)
202 (94.4)
203 (95.0)
204 (95.5)
205 (96.1)
206 (96.6)
207 (97.2)
208 (97.7)
209 (98.3)
210 (98.8)
211 (99.4)
212 (100.0)
213 (100.5)
214 (101.1)
215 (101.6)
216 (102.2)
217 (102.7)
218 (103.3)
219 (103.8)
220 (104.4)
221 (105.0)
222 (105.5)
223 (106.1)
224 (106.6)
225 (107.2)
230 (110.0)
235 (112.8)
240 (115.6)
245 (118.3)
250 (121.1) |
E-White Paper (C) 2002, by Peter Glen, Listed in the
who's who.
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