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ºF -> ºC is hard to intuit, even as a native English speaker (British) who grew up in the UK and studied chemistry to a high level. Not all English speakers use

by leejo 5y ago

ºF -> ºC is hard to intuit, even as a native English speaker (British) who grew up in the UK and studied chemistry to a high level. Not all English speakers use ºF. Sure, I know 32ºF is the freezing point of water, 212ºF the boiling point, and yes I know the conversion equation, but still when I see (say) 104ºF I know it's "hot" but don't have my frame of reference in the right place to know how hot.

liuliu 5y ago
One thing helps me: 100ºF is around body temperature. That helps to set a mid-point between the other two temperature points like you described.
vmception 5y ago
I know both pretty well. My suggestion would be to stop trying to convert. The formula is the dumbest thing ever. You need to make completely parallel associations. Learn what “light jacket weather is”. Don’t convert, just use the other scale for several months or more, wake up look at the temperature and make the accurate choice. Learn what shorts and tshirt weather is. Make good predictions about what you’ll need to wear at bought based on the temperature lows. Understand that hotter or colder might be unbearable.
- Thrymr 5y ago
  Great advice if you have to read local weather reports regularly. The root comment was asking that writers include Celsius units in an article for a broad audience, which is also fair criticism.
JimiofEden 5y ago
I mean, the basic rule of thumb I learned for C was that 20 is room temperature, above 30 is hot, below 0 is freezing Same deal with F, 70 is room temperature, above 90 is hot and below 30 is freezing That alone has been enough to help me switch back and forth between the two systems easily enough. Or at least I'm not shocked when 14 C is kinda chilly or when 95 F is damn hot Granted, if you need to be more precise than that, then that comes down to having a calculator handy, but for common use this has been enough for me Edit: In hindsight, this might just mean that as a F native, C is much easier to learn than the other way around
refurb 5y ago
You don’t have to be exact. 70F = 20C Each 10F is ~5C. 50F = 10C 60F = 15C 80F = 25C 90F = 30C (33C precisely)

by leejo 5y ago

liuliu 5y ago

One thing helps me: 100ºF is around body temperature. That helps to set a mid-point between the other two temperature points like you described.

vmception 5y ago

I know both pretty well. My suggestion would be to stop trying to convert. The formula is the dumbest thing ever. You need to make completely parallel associations. Learn what “light jacket weather is”. Don’t convert, just use the other scale for several months or more, wake up look at the temperature and make the accurate choice. Learn what shorts and tshirt weather is. Make good predictions about what you’ll need to wear at bought based on the temperature lows. Understand that hotter or colder might be unbearable.

Thrymr 5y ago
Great advice if you have to read local weather reports regularly. The root comment was asking that writers include Celsius units in an article for a broad audience, which is also fair criticism.

JimiofEden 5y ago

I mean, the basic rule of thumb I learned for C was that 20 is room temperature, above 30 is hot, below 0 is freezing Same deal with F, 70 is room temperature, above 90 is hot and below 30 is freezing That alone has been enough to help me switch back and forth between the two systems easily enough. Or at least I'm not shocked when 14 C is kinda chilly or when 95 F is damn hot Granted, if you need to be more precise than that, then that comes down to having a calculator handy, but for common use this has been enough for me Edit: In hindsight, this might just mean that as a F native, C is much easier to learn than the other way around

refurb 5y ago

You don’t have to be exact. 70F = 20C Each 10F is ~5C. 50F = 10C 60F = 15C 80F = 25C 90F = 30C (33C precisely)