Centigrade To Celsius Converter
A tool to clarify that Centigrade and Celsius are the same temperature scale. It converts values 1:1.
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Centigrade vs. Celsius: A Tale of Two Names for One Scale
When discussing temperature in the metric system, you might hear the terms "Centigrade" and "Celsius" used. This can sometimes cause confusion, but the reality is very simple: they refer to the same temperature scale. This article explains their history and relationship.
The Origin: The Centigrade Scale
In 1742, Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius created a temperature scale with two fixed points: 0 for the boiling point of water and 100 for the freezing point of water. This was later inverted by other scientists to the familiar 0° for freezing and 100° for boiling. Because there were 100 degrees between these two key points, the scale was named the Centigrade scale, from the Latin words "centum" (one hundred) and "gradus" (steps).
The Renaming: The Celsius Scale
In 1948, an international conference on weights and measures decided to rename the Centigrade scale to the Celsius scale in honor of its inventor, Anders Celsius. This was done for two main reasons:
- To standardize the naming of temperature scales after their creators (like Kelvin and Fahrenheit).
- To avoid confusion, as "centigrade" could also refer to 1/100th of a gradian, a unit of angle.
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