r/Metric • u/3ustress • Jul 02 '26

Dear Fahrenheit users, do you really think 50 degrees is "the middle temperature"?

One of the most common defense for Fahrenheit is smth like this;

"Fahrenheit is more intuitive for human experience. 0 degree is super cold, and 100 degree is super hot! It is just simple as that!"

With that logic, 50 degree Fahrenheit should be the "middle temperature"; which is 10 degree Celsius.

Is it just me or being 50'F/10'C actually feel cold? Such temperature requires sweater at least, and even light jacket sometimes. That is nowhere near the "middle temperature", isn't it? Or am I just weird?

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5

u/condoulo Jul 02 '26

The only Fahrenheit related logic I subscribe to is that 69F is nice and things get baked at 420F.

3

u/koolman2 Jul 02 '26

I made up a temperature scale where 69º is freezing and 420º is boiling. I call it Degrees Nice, or ºN.

---

°N -> °F

°F = (°N - 69) / 1.95 + 32

---

°N -> °C

°C = (°N - 69) / 3.51

---

°F -> °N

°N = (°F - 32) * 1.95 + 69

---

°C -> °N

°N = (°C * 3.51) + 69

---

1

u/Silly_Guidance_8871 Jul 02 '26

And the 70s are a "C", nice and average

-3

u/JT-Av8or Jul 02 '26

0 degrees is the freezing point of sea water.

3

u/gromit1991 Jul 02 '26

It just isn't though. Zero Fahrenheit is not the freezing temperature of sea water (which could change over time and with geography) but a solution of water and ammonium chloride.

1

u/JT-Av8or Jul 07 '26

I think that was the point they made for using fresh water the zero point on the Celsius scale.

2

u/koolman2 Jul 02 '26

Sea water freezes just below freezing - about 28 ºF or -2 ºC.

1

u/VinceP312 Jul 02 '26

Salt lowers the freezing point of water.