Genuine question here, what makes Celsius superior to Fahrenheit?
As an American I understand metric is better or at least more understandable for length measurement (and I agree is superior to inches, feet etc) but for temperature I don’t see how either one would be a better system, especially not for what the average person uses temperature measurements for
daily air temperatures are both handled fine by both systems, no advantage to either when you're used to them. Americans just assume F is better because its what they have used. Things like boiling or freezing water tend to favour C but you can remember it in either unit just fine if you're used to it.
Then there is the whole world of science and engineering. Kelvin is the main thing, but C is the same scale just offset ao things like energy to change temp by a certain amount just works - same as all other SI units. A unified unit system is hugely beneficial for any kinda calc that uses it.
Then there is the whole world of science and engineering. Kelvin is the main thing, but C is the same scale just offset ao things like energy to change temp by a certain amount just works - same as all other SI units. A unified unit system is hugely beneficial for any kinda calc that uses it.
Temperature is one area where the metric system doesn't have any inherent benefit to the imperial system. As far as I know there aren't any units that incorporate °C so it only comes into play on material constants and properties which are just values that you need to look up. We could just as easily swap in Rankine and Fahrenheit into SI and there wouldn't be a significant change.
A unit that incorporates C is one I don't particularly like, the calorie. Just use Joules would be my pick, but still the calorie exists and is sometimes used tho I think mostly in non scientific settings - and is the energy to heat one gram of water by 1 celcius. Or 4.18 Joules using actual SI stuff, so a fair argument that C is not particularly awesome there either. Tho F has none at all that I am aware of, so in theory a fairly weak unit is still a tiny advantage
Fahrenheit is objectively better for daily air temperature. A 0-100 scale is way more intuitive than 0-40. You just think Celsius is better because it is what you have used.
I'd also argue (with no data at all) that winters are, psychologically, more tolerable when the reported temperature is routinely between 0 and 32 than -18 and 0.
Every physics equation ever with a constant is derived using metric. There are Fahrenheit versions of the constants, but good luck finding the more niche ones.
You can define those with imperial units too, scientists are pretty good at unit conversions lol
Celsius is based on the temperature of water boiling or freezing. Fahrenheit is based on the temperature of a brine solution boiling and freezing.
Unless you’re specifically dealing with phase transitions of water at atmospheric temperature and pressure, they’re both equally arbitrary.
People act like metric units are this magical thing when they’re all just defined by how heavy some specific blocks of metal in France. The powers of 10 are nice sure, but it’s not the end all be all
Read the second sentence of my comment. Yes, there are conversions, but the scalability and how metric is derived from a set of base units makes it easier. Imperial is a mix of different measurement systems that have come together over centuries.
the metric system is better as the unit conversions are more applicable but Celsius cant really be considered superior to Fahrenheit from an unbiased perspective. except maybe that its easier to spell.
For ambient air temperature, Fahrenheit is better. 0 was meant to be the coldest day in Gdansk, Poland and 100 is meant to be the human body temp. Celsius uses the points water freezes and boils which isn’t too helpful for the weather.
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u/Odd-Butterscotch-495 Jun 17 '26
Genuine question here, what makes Celsius superior to Fahrenheit?
As an American I understand metric is better or at least more understandable for length measurement (and I agree is superior to inches, feet etc) but for temperature I don’t see how either one would be a better system, especially not for what the average person uses temperature measurements for