Gene Mechtly wrote in USMA 18490: >On Sat, 2 Mar 2002, James R. Frysinger wrote: > >> ... we moved from the centigrade scale with two reference >> points to the Celsius scale with one reference point and a defined >> interval size. > >> I believe that's the nut of the matter, though perhaps there are some >> subtleties omitted above. > >Jim, > >Some additional subtleties are the phase equilibrium temperatures of gold, >silver, mercury, oxygen, etc. which are "fixed points" on the >"International Temperature Scale-90" for measurements beyond the range >of an ordinary Celsius thermometer. (NIST Technical Note 1265, 1990) > >Nevertheless, I agree with your statement that the Celsius scale >has only *one* fixed point (273.15 kelvins) and one interval (one kelvin) >whereas the centigrade scale had two fixed points, the ice point, >and the boiling point of pure water. > >Gene.
You are both wrong. The change from centigrade to degrees Celsius was nothing more than a change of name, a change that was already curreent in Teutonic countries. Joseph B.Reid 17 Glebe Road West Toronto M5P 1C8 TEL. 416-486-6071
