Question

Which is larger, an increment of 1°C, or of 1°F? Explain, using an example if needed.

Answer 1

The ‘rise’ in temperature in both cases is the same. Only the units of measurement changes. In fact, there is another unit of temperature used by scientists - KELVIN.

Celsius denotes a scale of temperature on which water freezes at 0° and boils at 100° at sea level and standard atmospheric pressure.

Fahrenheit denotes the temperature at which water freezes into ice at 32 °F, and the boiling point of water is 212 °F, at sea level and standard atmospheric pressure.

For example, if there is a rise in temperature from 20°C to 21°C the corresponding Fahrenheit scale would show an increase of 68°F to 69.80°F and in the Kelvin scale it would be 293.15K to 294.15K. In other words, if it is a one degree rise in the Celsius scale, it would be a 1.80° rise in the Fahrenheit scale.

So as you can see, we can measure the temperature in different units as needed, but the rise in temperature remains unchanged.

On the other hand, if we compare a 1° rise in Celsius scale with a 1° rise in the Fahrenheit scale, then the Celsius scale is warmer. From 20°C to 21°C the corresponding Fahrenheit reading is 69.80 but the rise is only we are rising it only from 68°F to 69°F corresponding to 20.5556°C therefore, 20 to 21°C is 0.4556°C warmer than 68°F to 69°F.

Rise in a degree fahrenheit takes less amount of heat as compared to the rise in one degree on a celsius scale.