Centigrade
Definition and meaning of Centigrade in chemistry.
Centigrade is a standard temperature scale, now globally synonymous with the Celsius scale, fundamentally based on the exact freezing and boiling points of liquid water.
In more detail
On this widely adopted metric scale, pure water safely freezes at exactly 0 degrees and steadily boils at 100 degrees under standard atmospheric pressure conditions. The temperature scale was originally conceptualized by the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1742 and mathematically divided the temperature range between water's freezing and boiling phase transitions into 100 equal degrees, leading to the historical prefix "centi-". It is used heavily in almost all scientific research laboratories and globally across most nations for everyday atmospheric temperature measurement. Because rigorous scientific calculations often require an absolute zero reference, chemists frequently convert these Centigrade measurements directly to Kelvin by adding 273.15.
Key facts
| Field | General Chemistry |
|---|---|
| Water Freezing Point | 0 degrees |
| Water Boiling Point | 100 degrees |
| Kelvin Conversion | K = C + 273.15 |
A standard comfortable room temperature in an analytical chemistry laboratory is generally considered to be consistently maintained around 20 to 25 degrees Centigrade to ensure stable and reproducible chemical reactions.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the scale historically named Centigrade?
It was originally called Centigrade because there are exactly 100 degrees (representing a "grade" or step) firmly placed between the freezing and boiling points of pure liquid water.