why do we use F degrees instead of C?

Question

I am talking about degrees people if u dident know.

Answer 1

tradition.


Fahrenheit is the way we have always done it...
Celsius, although a more efficient and all around a better system is not the way we have done it. Change is never easy.

Answer 2

Essentially there are three different degrees, Fahrenheit (F), Celsius [ C], and Kelvin [ K].

The scales were invented by different people and were adopted in different countries. The Kelvin is the official, scientific way to measure temperature. Most of the world uses the Celsius scale, but there also are some countries who still use the Fahrenheit scale, amongst other the USA.

because people in the US understand the Fahrenheit scale [80 degrees is nice and warm, 30 degrees is cold], this scale will continue to exist.

It's different to e.g. inches and miles, which is also different from the rest of the world. These are just antique measures, which are difficult to work with. It's not easy to change from foot to inch to mile to gallon to ounce to pound. The metric system is very simple. 1000 mm = 1 m = 0.001 km, 1 m^3 = 1000 liters, a liter of water weighs 1 kg

Answer 3

If by "we" you mean "people in the U.S.", well, we just do. Most other countries use centigrade.

Farenheit was a temperature scale based on the greatest known extremes on planet earth. Hence 0°F is about the coldest it ever gets, and 100°F is about the hottest. Obviously there are places on earth where it gets colder or hotter; the scale did not take those into account. Fixing the points for 0 and 100 was basically an arbitrary decision.

Centigrade was based, in a more scientifically-minded approach, on the boiling and freezing points of water. Water, at sea-level atmospheric pressure, freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C.

So basically, centigrade was invented by scientists who wanted a logical, scientific scale for temperature. Farenheit was invented by a normal guy who wanted a logical, everyday-use scale for temperature. Both seemed logical to the people who created them; the fact that we use Farenheit's scale is largely a chance happening.

FYI, to convert from °F to °C, use:
c = (f - 32) * 5/9
and to convert from °C to °F, use:
f = c * 9/5 + 32

Interesting fact: -40° is the same temperature in Farenheit and Celcius. Try putting it in the formulas; you will find that it is true.

Answer 4

Simply because the English System (which is what feet,inches, acres, and Fahrenheit degrees make up) was brought to England's colonies in the New World by settlers. The metric system, (meters, grams, degrees Celsius, etc,) was a product of the French Revolution. So it's actually just a matter of cultural inertia.

Answer 5

Not sure why, but I think you are about the only country left that doesn't do Celcius. Canada (where I am) has been Celcius for quite a few years now, as well as centemeters & millimeters. Because I am from the 'old school, I still don't understand and have to calculate to know when buying a turkey or roast. Hope the U.S. soon catches up with the rest of us. It's not like you to be last at doing anything

Answer 6

Because Americans want everything their own way. a U can create your own way of calculating temperature, distance, and speed but it makes things more complicated when sharing your information with others that have their own system. That's why It's time that we all come together and accept the metric system as the standard system.
The SI system provides some advantages over the English system:
1. It is based on a decimal system (ie:powers of ten). Therefore, it simplifies calculations by using a set of prefixes.

2.It is used by most other nations of the world, and therefore, it has commercial and trade advantage.

Answer 7

It is one of two reasons.
The US goverment is to stubborn and tight-@ssed to changed over to the metric system which is used by the rest of the world, no matter how much more logical the metric system is, because they feel that it feels that it would be seen as a sign of weakness.

OR, it is a conspiracy devised by the US government to frustrate all foreigners in the US taking Physics classes, or wondering what the temperature is etc. Maybe, if the airplane controls had not been in metric as well, 9-11 would never had happened!! :D

Answer 8

The United States, unlike most other countries, has not changed from the customary system of using Farenheit. People in the United States are afraid of learning new ways to do things-- therefore, we have never changed to using celsius even if it is actually easier to use.

Answer 9

Because you people insist on being difficult and use a totally unlogical system for messuring. Not only degrees, but also weight and length.

Answer 10

The same reason that we use inches and feet instead of centimeters and meters. We're different and we don't think we have to conform to the way Europe does things. They use metric measures and we use duodecimal measures.

Answer 11

Because Americans like to be different....we use miles instead of kilometers, F instead of C, among other things. Makes it confusing for those of us who travel internationationally.