🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan12.030855.26809@netcom.com>, mcp@netcom.com (Craig Presnell) writes:
|> An interesting historical question came up in physics class
|> today concerning the determination of the Farenheit temperature
|> scale. The celsius scale was determined by making 0 degrees the
|> same as freezing water, and 100 degrees equal to boiling water and
|> equally dividing the points in between. Apparently Farenheit had the
|> same idea, but wanted something colder to be 0 degress, so alcohol
|> and ice were used. The question is, what was used to determine the
|> upper end of the scale ?

The low was the lowest he could achieve in his lab.  The high was the
blood temperature of a horse.

Presumably the horse had to come into his lab, too, which raises
questions about the reliability of _all_ his measurements, imho.

No wonder the world (ex USA) is going over to use of Celsius' scale.
--
Robin (Keep Radio 3 != Classic FM) Fairbairns       rf@cl.cam.ac.uk
U of Cambridge Computer Lab, Pembroke St, Cambridge  CB2 3QG, UK

mcp@netcom.com (Craig Presnell) writes:

>An interesting historical question came up in physics class
>today concerning the determination of the Farenheit temperature
>scale. The celsius scale was determined by making 0 degrees the
>same as freezing water, and 100 degrees equal to boiling water and
>equally dividing the points in between. Apparently Farenheit had the
>same idea, but wanted something colder to be 0 degress, so alcohol
>and ice were used. The question is, what was used to determine the
>upper end of the scale ?

>Several text books were researched, but nothing came up.

>Thanks for all replies!

The totally unauthorized, unverified version I had heard is that 100 F
was supposed to be body temperature (it's a little bit off).

BK

In article <1993Jan12.030855.26809@netcom.com> mcp@netcom.com (Craig Presnell) writes:
>From: mcp@netcom.com (Craig Presnell)
>Subject: Celsius and Farenheit Scale Determination
>Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 03:08:55 GMT
>An interesting historical question came up in physics class
>today concerning the determination of the Farenheit temperature
>scale. The celsius scale was determined by making 0 degrees the
>same as freezing water, and 100 degrees equal to boiling water and
>equally dividing the points in between. Apparently Farenheit had the
>same idea, but wanted something colder to be 0 degress, so alcohol
>and ice were used. The question is, what was used to determine the
>upper end of the scale ?
>
>Several text books were researched, but nothing came up.
>
>Thanks for all replies!
>
>
>-- 
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>><         Craig Presnell          ><    mcp@netcom.netcom.com     >< 
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Well, according to my Chem teacher the bottom end of the scale was set by 
the ice cream industry, the coldest you could get with ice and salt. The 
upper end was set by the medical profession, the average fever temperature 
of a cold. I don't know if this is acurate but it seems likely for some 
reason.