I have a curiosity about using the Celsius temperature scale versus Fahrenheit.
I know the USA is likely considered somewhat backwards for still using the Fahrenheit temperature scale for non-technical uses, (most science/technical functions use Celsius) but I find the scale more relatable to human comfort for ambient temperature readings.
0°F is really cold and 100°F is uncomfortably hot with 70°F being in the comfortable indoor range.
And 1°F is a good adjustment increment for an indoor thermostat.

I would suppose you get used to the Celsius temperature values for those arbitrary comfort levels, but it seems less intuitive.
Also I believe Celsius home thermostats use 0.5°C setting increments as a 1°C jump is likely too coarse.

I'm interested in thoughts on this from those in the rest of the world who use Celsius for ambient temperature readings.

On a side note, I also find the gallon a handy unit for liquid measure such as gasoline and milk.
I could live with kilometers instead of miles though, even though the word has too many syllables.

 

it is matter of taste or what we got used to.... several billion people find metric system more intuitive.
thermometers are not limited to positive integer values... even when displaying Fahrenheits.

 

 

several billion people find metric system more intuitive

So I can understand how the metric system is generally more intuitive, but don't see how the Celsius scale is for ambient temperature readings.

I used Celsius for 40+ years in my engineering career, but it never felt particularly intuitive.
I often mentally converted it to the rough equivalent Fahrenheit temperature to get a better feel for its value.

thermometers are not limited to positive integer values... even when displaying Fahrenheits.

I was referring to the adjustment increment of a thermostat, not the display increment of a thermometer.

 

Does one prefer to speak Spanish, or English, and in what language do they think in. As a Canadian, I think in terms of Celsius for temperature. 18 is my indoor comfort, while anything lower than -15, or above 25, means I need extra consideration when recreating outdoors. The one area there's an overlap is in building materials that still adhere to an imperial designation, when they actually aren't.

 

I am "fully bilingual" with respect to metric and imperial units. I can use either one interchangeably, though for engineering calculations, I always use metric.
Having said this, I also prefer using Farenheit for human comfort, for the simple reason that the smallest temperature change that a human body detects is about 0.5C, which roughly translates to 1F. It is simpler to discuss the ambient temperature in whole round numbers than numbers with decimals.

There is another area where I prefer Imperial units: engine horsepower and torque. Of course I can always translate to KW and N_Mt. Used to prefer CID, but I also now widely use liters of displacement.
But again, it is a matter of choice.

 

Does one prefer to speak Spanish, or English, and in what language do they think in.

How does that affect whether you use Celsius or Fahrenheit, which are given in the same number system for Spanish and English?

 

Before Canada went Celcius I always had to check the container as to wether it was US or Imperial gallon .

 

I know the USA is likely considered somewhat backwards for still using the Fahrenheit temperature scale for non-technical uses

Perhaps somewhat beside the point of your curiosity, but Fahrenheit or Celsius is arbitrary. The problem with customary units is that it's merely a collection of units. On the other hand SI (metric system if you prefer, but SI is more correct) is a system of units. To go from BTU to HP you need a magic number, something that doesn't arise with SI.

Even further beside the point, I think kWh is a stupid metric. Just express is in J and get used to it.

 

Britain was a latecomer to the metrication party. I grew up with Fahrenheit but now prefer Celsius. One thing I can say about Fahrenheit is that you can nearly always get all he useful range in a 8 bit number, but with Celsius 1 degree might not be precise enough and often you’d need to deal with negative numbers.

I measure small distances in metres and millimetres, but travel in miles, buy fuel in litres but measure how fast I’m it using in mpg, and inflate my tyres in psi, weigh things in kilograms, but am happy buying groceries in both grams and ounces.

 

Perhaps somewhat beside the point of your curiosity, but Fahrenheit or Celsius is arbitrary. The problem with customary units is that it's merely a collection of units. On the other hand SI (metric system if you prefer, but SI is more correct) is a system of units. To go from BTU to HP you need a magic number, something that doesn't arise with SI.

Even further beside the point, I think kWh is a stupid metric. Just express is in J and get used to it.

could be worse, it could be in foot-pounds if you insist on imperial units, or BTU!

But would you have road speed limits in m/s ?

 

But would you have road speed limits in m/s ?

Sure, that would be fine by me. Preferred even. It would make things easier.

I semi-recently learned that runners express their speed in minutes per kilometer ...

 

I semi-recently learned that runners express their speed in minutes per kilometer ...

I do minutes per mile.

 

Sure, that would be fine by me. Preferred even. It would make things easier.

If you worked in a wind tunnel on vehicle aerodynamics, I imagine it would, but if you don’t need to relate it to any other measurement, I don’t see it as an advantage. If you know the distance and speed and want to know when you will arrive, is it useful to know your journey time in seconds rather than hours?

 

I do minutes per mile.

My car does kWh per 100 miles. That’s awkward.

 

Perhaps somewhat beside the point of your curiosity, but Fahrenheit or Celsius is arbitrary.

Yes, that's so beside the point, that I don't even understand what the point of your statement is.
What is being arbitrary, (which many things in this world are) have to do with whether we use Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Would Kelvin absolute degrees work better for you?

 

If you worked in a wind tunnel on vehicle aerodynamics, I imagine it would, but if you don’t need to relate it to any other measurement, I don’t see it as an advantage. If you know the distance and speed and want to know when you will arrive, is it useful to know your journey time in seconds rather than hours?

Wednesday I need to go on a trip that will take about 2 hours in low traffic up to 3 hours in high traffic. I know this without knowing or using the speed limit which changes many times during the trip.

Yes, that's so beside the point, that I don't even understand what the point of your statement is.
What is being arbitrary, (which many things in this world are) have to do with whether we use Fahrenheit or Celsius?

You said "I know the USA is likely considered somewhat backwards for still using the Fahrenheit temperature scale"
My point is that considering it backwards is stupid and missing the point. The point being that customary units is not a system. You could make a fine system around Fahrenheit if you wanted to. Using Celsius or Fahrenheit is arbitrary. Having a harmonised system is not.

Would Kelvin absolute degrees work better for you?

Yes.

 

My point is that considering it backwards is stupid and missing the point. The point being that customary units is not a system.

May be stupid to you, but you are missing my point, which is stupid to me.
What difference does it make if it's a "system" or not?

 

but Fahrenheit or Celsius is arbitrary

No, No, No, far from it!!! Both are based on the physical properties of Water!

From the freezing point of H20 (@ Std Pressure) the range is the same but scaled differently to the boiling point of H20 (@ Std Pressure). 100° for Celsius and 180° for Imperial. So each degrees Celsius is 1.8 degrees Imperial. So its a simple 1.8 factor + 32 degrees to convert Celsius to Imperial (since water freezes @ 32° Imperial). Can closely approximate in my head... Even if you can't remember all the other scaling factors you should remember this pretty easily and is how I taught it in my science classes to high school students. Either that or live somewhere that uses Celsius and you will soon understand just how hot or cold it really is...

 

Wednesday I need to go on a trip that will take about 2 hours in low traffic up to 3 hours in high traffic. I know this without knowing or using the speed limit which changes many times during the trip.

You said "I know the USA is likely considered somewhat backwards for still using the Fahrenheit temperature scale"
My point is that considering it backwards is stupid and missing the point. The point being that customary units is not a system. You could make a fine system around Fahrenheit if you wanted to. Using Celsius or Fahrenheit is arbitrary. Having a harmonised system is not.

Yes.

Kelvin would make comparing temperatures weird.

Compare:

It was a pleasant 20° yesterday, but a brutal 30° today.

to:

It was a pleasant 235° yesterday, but a brutal 245° today.

I agree with @crutschow that 1F is about the minimum we can distinguish, and so it makes sense. I will often change the thermostat by 1F.