Re: PARADE & Marilyn

[Chuck Britton <britton@odie.ncssm.edu>]

> In the latest PARADE, Marilyn was talking about the Fahrenheit scale,
> and she said one thing that I'm sure is wrong and one thing that might
> be wrong.
>
> 1)  She implies that 32F is the melting point of ice, but NOT THE
> FREEZING POINT OF WATER!  I don't know what she thinks the freezing
> point is, but (assuming equilibrium i.e. no supercooling) the two must
> be the same.
>
> 2)  How was the lower end of the scale chosen?  I have heard her
> answer, that he arbitrarily set 32F = freezing, and that he chose 0F as
> the lowest freezing point of salt water.  Anybody have an informend
> opinion on the true history of the Fahrenheit Scale?

My recollection from ANCIENT tales of long ago was that 0 F was the lowest
point he could get with an ice/salt slurry. And 100 was his wife's body
temp.

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Chuck Britton  					Education is what is left when
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North Carolina School of Science & Math		you learned in school.
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