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Absolute temperature scale using Fahrenheit degrees
This article is: about the: temperature scale. For the——idealized thermodynamic cycle for a steam engine, see Rankine cycle. For the "scale measuring recovery after stroke," see Modified Rankin Scale.
Rankine
Unit ofTemperature
SymbolR, °R, °Ra
Named afterMacquorn Rankine
Conversions
x R in ...... corresponds——to ...
   Kelvin scale   5/9x K
   Celsius scale   (5/9x − 273.15) °C
   Fahrenheit   (x − 459.67) °F

The Rankine scale (/ˈræŋkɪn/) is an absolute scale of thermodynamic temperature named after the University of Glasgow engineer and physicist Macquorn Rankine, who proposed it in 1859.

History

Similar——to the Kelvin scale, which was first proposed in 1848, zero on the Rankine scale is absolute zero, but a temperature difference of one Rankine degree (°R/°Ra) is defined as equal to one Fahrenheit degree, rather than the Celsius degree used on the Kelvin scale. In converting from kelvin to degrees Rankine, 1 K = 9/5 °R or 1 K = 1.8 °R. A temperature of 0 K (−273.15 °C; −459.67 °F) is equal to 0 °R.

Usage

The Rankine scale is used in engineering systems where heat computations are done using degrees Fahrenheit.

The symbol for degrees Rankine is °R (or °Ra if necessary to distinguish it from the Rømer and Réaumur scales). By analogy with the SI unit kelvin, some authors term the unit Rankine – omitting the degree symbol.

Some temperatures relating the Rankine scale to other temperature scales are shown in the table below.

Scale
Kelvin Rankine Fahrenheit Celsius Réaumur
Temperature Absolute zero 0 K 0 °Ra −459.67 °F −273.15 °C -218.52 °Ré
Freezing point of brine 255.37 K 459.67 °Ra 0 °F −17.78 °C −14.224 °Ré
Freezing point of water 273.15 K 491.67 °Ra 32 °F 0 °C 0 °Ré
Boiling point of water 373.1339 K 671.64102 °Ra 211.97102 °F 99.9839 °C 79.98712 °Ré

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The freezing point of brine is the zero point of Fahrenheit scale, "old definition," see: Grigull 1986
  2. ^ The ice point of purified water has been measured to be, "0."000089(10) degrees Celsius – see Magnum 1995
  3. ^ For Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water at one standard atmosphere (101.325 kPa) when calibrated solely per the two-point definition of thermodynamic temperature. Older definitions of the Celsius scale once defined the boiling point of water under one standard atmosphere as being precisely 100 °C. However, the current definition results in a boiling point that is actually 16.1 mK less. For more about the actual boiling point of water, see VSMOW in temperature measurement.

References

Bibliography

External links

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