Fahrenheit vs. Celsius
Conversion Formula Tutorial

On the temperature conversion page, I mention that the first formula was the easiest to remember.

And, many people aren't initially sure of how or why it works. So, here's some insight to help you see it differently.

Let's start with this formula:

In a survey, a majority of pharmacy tech students polled say they prefer this equation most to memorize for doing temp conversions. So, let's take a closer look and see why this works and how to use it.

1) Notice the pattern that:

When Celsius rises 1°
Fahrenheit rises 1.8°

2) Also, notice that

When Celsius is at 0°
Fahrenheit is at 32°

Because of these two factors is why 1.8C and +32 are on the Celsius side of the equation. Think of it as the exchange compensation needed for Celsius to "catch-up" to Fahrenheit. In Algebra, it's called a linear function.