Converting Celsius to Fahrenheit

Date: 2/28/96 at 14:6:46
From: Marjory R. Kline
Subject: Centigrade-to-Fahrenheit conversions

Dear Dr. Math:

I am Americanizing a couple of British nonfiction books for 
children. Normally, the c-to-f conversion is no problem for me, 
but these are books on the solar system and I want to be very sure 
I get my conversions right.  So, here are my questions:

What is the Fahrenheit equivalent for 15 million degrees centigrade?
(That's the temperature at the center of the sun.) 

What is the Fahrenheit equivalent of -150 degrees Celsius, and how 
does this differ from centigrade?

To convert 500 degrees centigrade to Fahrenheit, what figures do 
I use?

Would appreciate your help,
Marjory Kline

Date: 2/28/96 at 15:58:38
From: Doctor Byron
Subject: Re: Centigrade-to-Fahrenheit conversions

Hi Marjory,

Celsius and centigrade both refer to the same temperature scale, 
which is calibrated by setting the boiling point of water at 100 
and the freezing point of water at 0.  The general conversions 
between Celsius and Fahrenheit are:

Tf = 9/5 * Tc + 32
Tc = (Tf - 32) * 5/9

where Tf and Tc are Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures, 
respectively.

Applying these formulas to your questions, we have:

15,000,000 Celsius in Fahrenheit:
Tf = 9/5 * 15,000,000 + 32 = 27 million deg. F

-150 C in F:
Tf = 9/5 * -150 + 32 = -238 deg. F

500 C to F:
Tf = 9/5 * 500 + 32 = 932 deg. F

Good luck with the books!

-Doctor Byron,  The Math Forum