Temperature conversion is the process of changing a measurement from one temperature scale to another. The most commonly used scales are Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin, each with its own reference points and applications.

Common Temperature Scales

• Celsius (°C): Used in most countries worldwide, based on water's freezing and boiling points
• Fahrenheit (°F): Primarily used in the United States, based on a different scale of reference points
• Kelvin (K): The SI base unit for temperature, starting from absolute zero
• Other: Rankine (°R), Réaumur (°Ré), Newton (°N)

Conversion Formulas

• °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32
• °C = (°F - 32) × 5/9
• K = °C + 273.15
• °C = K - 273.15
• °R = °F + 459.67

Historical Context

The Celsius scale was developed by Anders Celsius in 1742, using water's freezing and boiling points as reference. The Fahrenheit scale, created by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724, used different reference points including a brine solution's freezing point. The Kelvin scale, named after Lord Kelvin, was developed in 1848 and is based on absolute zero, the theoretical point where all molecular motion stops.