3 ms·
these aren't random numbers at all. 0 F is the lowest temperature a saturated mixture of water and ammonium chloride salt freezes at. Adding salts to water dep
by fargle 3y ago
these aren't random numbers at all.
0 F is the lowest temperature a saturated mixture of water and ammonium chloride salt freezes at. Adding salts to water depresses the freezing point until you can't absorb any more salt.
100 F was an estimate of human body temperature.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit
in agreement with the parent comment, F (1724) is no more or less arbitrary than C (1742). Pick the temperature of two things and divide into 100 parts. Liking one or the other better doesn't make it more or less arbitrary.
there's a lot to recommend SI units of course, it's a very neat system and wonderful how it fits together. but C was invented 50 years before the metric system was proposed and, while convenient, is simply an arbitrary choice, albeit convenient.
- katbyte 3y ago> (1724) is no more or less arbitrary than C (1742). Pick the temperature of two things and divide into 100 parts. F is basically 2 random guesses at what 0 and 100 should be. C is the difference between water freezing and boiling / 100, at sea level. F is more arbitrary the C. C is less arbitrary as the 0 and 100 points are grounded in reality.
- fargle 3y ago> F is basically 2 random guesses I'll assume good intent. F is definitely not two random guesses. Please read carefully what I posted, F is no more random thah C. It has well defined, but different choices for the two points. The saturated mixture of water and salts is the coldest one can get liquid water to go at 1 ATM which is a reasonable idea for the time period. And why water? that's choice itself is arbitrary. Why not the triple-point of methane and the temperature of burning magnesium?