Fahrenheit to Celsius Converter

How to convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius

°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9. Subtract 32 from the degrees Fahrenheit, then multiply by 5/9. The Fahrenheit scale puts water's freezing point at 32 °F and boiling at 212 °F; absolute zero is −459.67 °F. The Celsius scale puts water's freezing point at 0 °C and boiling at 100 °C at sea level. A Fahrenheit degree is 5/9 of a kelvin, so the conversion scales the number and shifts the zero point.

Worked examples

• 32 degrees Fahrenheit = 0 °C ((32 − 32) × 5/9 = 0 °C)
• 72 degrees Fahrenheit = 22.2222 °C ((72 − 32) × 5/9 = 22.222222 °C)
• 350 degrees Fahrenheit = 176.667 °C ((350 − 32) × 5/9 = 176.66667 °C)

Where this conversion comes up

Degrees Fahrenheit are used for weather, ovens and body temperature in the US; degrees Celsius for weather and cooking outside the US. US weather, ovens and body temperature are given in Fahrenheit. 72 °F is a comfortable 22.2 °C, a 350 °F oven is 176.7 °C and a 104 °F fever is 40 °C. The two scales meet at −40.

Quick estimate

Subtract 30 and halve it (quick, within 2 °C for everyday weather): 70 °F ≈ 20 °C, exact 21.1 °C.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting the offset. Multiplying by 9/5 alone is not enough: the Fahrenheit and degree Celsius scales have different zero points, so the addition of 459.67 is part of the formula. Kelvins are written as K, not °K, and never go below 0 K.
• Rounding the offset. Use 459.67 exactly; rounding it to 460 shifts every result by 0.33 °F (0.18 K).

Related temperature converters: celsius to kelvin, kelvin to celsius, fahrenheit to kelvin, kelvin to fahrenheit.