Degree Celsius Symbol

	HTML	Meaning
℃	℃ U+2103	Degree Celsius Symbol Used to indicate temperature in the Celsius scale, which is a centigrade system based on the freezing and boiling points of water, and is widely used worldwide.
℉	℉ U+2109	Degree Fahrenheit Symbol Used to indicate temperature in the Fahrenheit scale.
°	° ° U+B0	Degree Symbol Represents the notion of 'degree' in various contexts.
°C	° C U+B0 U+43	Degree Celsius Notation (Two characters: "°" and "C") Another representation of temperature in Celsius, commonly used in scientific contexts.
°F	° F U+B0 U+46	Degree Fahrenheit Notation (Two characters: "°" and "F") Represents temperature in the Fahrenheit scale, primarily used in the United States and its territories.
∆	∆ U+2206	Delta Symbol Represents change, especially useful in temperature contexts like "∆T" for change in temperature.

What is the Degree Celsius Symbol?

The Degree Celsius Symbol, represented as ℃ or °C, indicates temperature using the Celsius scale. The Celsius scale is based on the freezing (0°C) and boiling points (100°C) of water at standard atmospheric pressure.

How to Use the Degree Celsius Symbol

The Degree Celsius symbol is used after a numeric value to indicate temperature in Celsius. Examples of its use include:

• Water freezes at 0°C or 0℃.
• The average human body temperature is around 37°C.

Countries Using the Celsius Scale

The Celsius scale, also known as the centigrade scale, is a temperature scale that is used worldwide for most temperature-related purposes. The following is a brief overview of its usage:

• Worldwide Adoption: Most countries around the world use the Celsius scale for daily weather reporting, in scientific contexts, and for most other temperature-related purposes. This includes countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South America.
• Exceptions: The United States, its territories, and a few Caribbean nations primarily use the Fahrenheit scale for weather reporting and everyday use. However, even in these regions, the Celsius scale is used in scientific, medical, and many technical contexts.
• Transition: Some countries like Canada and the UK use the Celsius scale officially but may still have pockets of the population, especially older generations, who refer to temperatures in Fahrenheit due to historical use.

Comparing the Celsius and Fahrenheit Scales

The Celsius scale is used predominantly worldwide, whereas the Fahrenheit scale is primarily used in the United States and its territories. Some key comparisons include:

• Water freezes at 0°C, equivalent to 32°F.
• Water boils at 100°C, equivalent to 212°F.
• The conversion formula from Celsius to Fahrenheit is: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32.

History of the Degree Celsius Symbol and the Celsius Scale

The Celsius scale was named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius, who first proposed it in 1742. Originally, Celsius designed the scale inversely, with 100° as the freezing point of water and 0° as its boiling point. However, this was reversed shortly after his death to the scale we recognize today.

How to Type the Degree Celsius Symbol Using Keyboard Shortcuts and Alt Codes

• On Windows: For ℃, hold down the Alt key on your keyboard and type 8451 on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key. For °C, you can type the degree symbol 0176 followed by the letter C.
• On Mac: For ℃, it might not have a direct shortcut, but you can use the degree symbol by pressing Option + Shift + 8 and then typing the letter C.
• On many Linux systems: For ℃, you may have to use character maps or specialized input methods. For °C, you can use the degree symbol shortcut and then type C.
• For HTML coding: Use the named entity °C or the numeric entity ℃ for ℃.

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