Degree Fahrenheit Symbol

	HTML	Meaning
℉	℉ U+2109	Degree Fahrenheit Symbol Used to indicate temperature in the Fahrenheit scale, which is based on the freezing point of brine (salt and water mixture) and body temperature, and is primarily used in the United States and its territories.
℃	℃ U+2103	Degree Celsius Symbol Used to indicate temperature in the Celsius scale.
°	° ° U+B0	Degree Symbol Represents the notion of 'degree' in various contexts.
°F	° F U+B0 U+46	Degree Fahrenheit Notation (Two characters: "°" and "F") Represents temperature in the Fahrenheit scale.
°C	° C U+B0 U+43	Degree Celsius Notation (Two characters: "°" and "C") Represents temperature in the Celsius scale.
∆	∆ U+2206	Delta Symbol Represents change, especially in temperature contexts.

What is the Degree Fahrenheit Symbol?

The Degree Fahrenheit Symbol, represented as ℉ or °F, indicates temperature using the Fahrenheit scale. The Fahrenheit scale is historically based on the freezing point of brine and an approximation of human body temperature.

How to Use the Degree Fahrenheit Symbol

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

• Water freezes at 32°F or 32℉.
• The average human body temperature is around 98.6°F.

Countries Using the Fahrenheit Scale

The Fahrenheit scale, though not as globally prevalent as the Celsius scale, is particularly dominant in the following areas:

• Primary Use: The United States and its territories use the Fahrenheit scale for daily weather reporting and in everyday contexts.
• Limited Use: A few Caribbean nations may also use the Fahrenheit scale for weather reporting.
• Scientific Contexts: Despite its everyday use in the aforementioned regions, scientific, medical, and many technical contexts prefer the Celsius scale.

Comparing the Fahrenheit and Celsius Scales

While the Fahrenheit scale is primarily used in the United States, the Celsius scale enjoys broader global adoption. Key comparisons between the two include:

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

History of the Degree Fahrenheit Symbol and the Fahrenheit Scale

The Fahrenheit scale was proposed by the Polish-German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in the early 18th century. He based it on three fixed points: the temperature of a mixture of ice, water, and salt (brine); the freezing point of water; and roughly human body temperature.

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

• On Windows: For ℉, hold down the Alt key on your keyboard and type 8457 on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key. For °F, you can type the degree symbol 0176 followed by the letter F.
• 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 F.
• On many Linux systems: For ℉, you might need to use character maps or specialized input methods. For °F, you can use the degree symbol shortcut and then type F.
• For HTML coding: Use the named entity °F or the numeric entity ℉ for ℉.

Symbols' Images