Degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius
To convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius, use the formula °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9.
72 °F = 22.2222 °C
How to convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius
The degree Celsius is the Celsius scale, defined through the kelvin as t/°C = T/K − 273.15; it was originally calibrated so that water froze at 0 °C and boiled at about 100 °C at 1 atm. The degree Fahrenheit is the Fahrenheit scale, °F = °C × 9/5 + 32 — water freezes at 32 °F and boils at 212 °F.
Worked example — 72 °F converts to 22.2222 °C using °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9.
Degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius table
| Degrees Fahrenheit | Degrees Celsius |
|---|---|
| 0 °F | -17.7778 °C |
| 32 °F | 0 °C |
| 50 °F | 10 °C |
| 68 °F | 20 °C |
| 72 °F | 22.2222 °C |
| 90 °F | 32.2222 °C |
| 98.6 °F | 37 °C |
| 212 °F | 100 °C |
Reverse and related
About degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius
Degree Fahrenheit (°F)
Definition. The Fahrenheit scale, °F = °C × 9/5 + 32 — water freezes at 32 °F and boils at 212 °F
History and origin
The Fahrenheit scale was devised by the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724, using a brine freezing point and human body temperature to set its reference points. It places the freezing point of water at 32 degrees and the boiling point at 212.
Current use
Fahrenheit is used mainly in the United States and a few nearby territories for weather, cooking and body temperature, while most of the world uses Celsius.
Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C, Conversion Equations for Units of Temperature
Degree Celsius (°C)
Definition. The Celsius scale, defined through the kelvin as t/°C = T/K − 273.15; it was originally calibrated so that water froze at 0 °C and boiled at about 100 °C at 1 atm
History and origin
The Celsius scale was proposed by the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1742, originally with 0 for boiling and 100 for freezing; the scale was soon reversed to the familiar form. It is now defined through the kelvin, with a temperature in degrees Celsius equal to the same temperature in kelvin minus 273.15.
Current use
Celsius is the everyday temperature scale almost everywhere for weather, cooking and body temperature; the United States is the main exception, using Fahrenheit.
Source: BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019)
Where people use this
Degrees Fahrenheit: weather in the US, oven temperatures, body temperature. Degrees Celsius: weather outside the US, cooking, body temperature. Normal body temperature, 98.6 °F, is 37 °C.
Water freezes at 32 °F and 0 °C and boils at 212 °F and 100 °C. That is 180 Fahrenheit degrees to 100 Celsius degrees, so one Fahrenheit degree is 100/180 = 5/9 of a Celsius degree, once the 32-degree offset is removed.
Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.
Sources: BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019); NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C, Conversion Equations for Units of Temperature.
Questions people ask
How do you convert Fahrenheit to Celsius?
Subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9, so °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9. For example, 72 °F becomes (72 − 32) × 5/9 = 22.2 °C.
What is 72 degrees Fahrenheit in Celsius?
72 °F is about 22.2 °C, a comfortable room temperature. 68 °F is 20 °C and 75 °F is about 23.9 °C.
What is 98.6 Fahrenheit in Celsius?
Normal body temperature, 98.6 °F, is 37 °C. A 100.4 °F reading is 38 °C, the usual fever threshold.
What is 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Celsius?
100 °F is about 37.8 °C. Water freezes at 32 °F (0 °C) and boils at 212 °F (100 °C).
Is a Celsius degree bigger than a Fahrenheit degree?
Yes. One Celsius degree equals 1.8 Fahrenheit degrees, since 100 °C spans the same range as 180 °F.