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At 10:50 AM -0600 3/11/01, brian whatcott wrote:
Reviewing the progress of thermometry like this:
1) a centigrade system between fixed points provided by a specified
freezing mixture and mean human body core temperature (due to Fahrenheit)
2) a centigrade system between fixed points provided by the
freezing point of pure water, and the boiling point of pure water
at a pressure of 1 atm (due to Celcius)
3) a linearly divided scale with one physical fixed point which
is very repeatable - the triple point of pure water, and a lower point
which can be repeatably and closely approached, scaled so as to
approximate as far as possible with a simple zero shift, an existing
temperature scale in which many important results were
historically expressed.
I think Jim's indignation was that the latest definition (#3 quoted by
Brian) happened half a century ago and the physics books still say water
boils at 100 degrees C. Yes, the true value is close to 100, but the fact
that it isn't exactly 100 ought to be in the physics books; Jim shouldn't
be forced to go to a PChem book for this.
But I would add that Serway does address this, so maybe Jim's sample of
current physics texts was too small.