Instrumentation & Measurement
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May 11, 2024 10:37 am
Yes, centigrade and Celsius are essentially the same thing. Here's the breakdown:
- Celsius: This is the most widely used temperature scale globally. It defines the freezing point of water as 0°C and the boiling point of water as 100°C at standard atmospheric pressure.
- Centigrade: This term literally translates to "hundred degrees" from Latin. It was historically used to describe a temperature scale with 100 degrees between the freezing and boiling points of water.
In the mid-20th century, the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) officially adopted the Celsius name for the temperature scale. However, "centigrade" is still used in some regions or by older generations out of habit.
Here's an analogy:
- Think of Celsius like the generic term for a specific type of thermometer, and centigrade is like an older brand name for the same kind of thermometer. They both measure temperature using the same scale with 100 degrees between freezing and boiling points of water.
So, whether you say 0°C or 0° centigrade, you're referring to the same temperature.