Convert Newton to Romer easily.

Ever wondered what 17th-century scientists would think of our modern temperature conveniences? While we take Celsius and Fahrenheit for granted, pioneers like Isaac Newton and Ole Rømer developed their own scales to measure heat. Converting between their systems isn't just about numbers, it's a journey through scientific history. Let's explore how these two temperature scales relate and why this conversion still matters today.

Unit definitions

What is a Newton (°N)?

Description: Created by Sir Isaac Newton around 1700, this temperature scale used linseed oil thermometers.
Symbol: °N
Common uses: Historical scientific experiments, early thermodynamics research
Definition: 0°N = freezing water, 33°N = boiling water (adjusted later to standard pressure)

What is a Romer (°Rø)?

Description: Developed by Danish astronomer Ole Christensen Rømer in 1701, this was one of the first standardized scales.
Symbol: °Rø
Common uses: 18th-century European meteorological records
Definition: 7.5°Rø = freezing brine, 60°Rø = boiling water (later adjusted to 0°Rø and 80°Rø for pure water)

Conversion formula

The mathematical relationship between Newton and Rømer scales is:
°Rø = (°N × 35⁄22) + 7.5
This formula reflects Rømer's use of fractions in his original calculations and the offset created by his brine solution reference point.

Example calculations

1. Converting 11°N to Rømer:
   11 × (35/22) = 17.5
   17.5 + 7.5 = 25°Rø
2. Converting 100°Rø to Newton:
   100 − 7.5 = 92.5
   92.5 × (22/35) ≈ 58.14°N

Conversion tables

Newton to Romer

Romer to Newton

From oil thermometers to modern science

Newton's approach to temperature measurement was surprisingly hands-on. He created his scale using a linseed oil thermometer, marking 0°N as the freezing point of water and 33°N as its boiling point. The choice of 33 divisions? Some historians suggest it related to his alchemical work with tripartite processes.

Rømer's scale initially used a brine solution as its zero point, which actually freezes at about -14°C. When he later adjusted his system to use pure water's freezing (7.5°Rø) and boiling (80°Rø) points, it created the 7.5 offset we see in conversion formulas today. This adjustment actually benefit standardization efforts across Europe.

Interesting facts

1. Fahrenheit visited Rømer in 1708 and based his famous scale on Rømer's work, doubling the divisions to increase precision.
2. Newton's original thermometer used the expansion of linseed oil rather than mercury or alcohol.
3. The 35/22 conversion factor comes from the ratio between Rømer's 80 divisions and Newton's 33.
4. Only three original Newton thermometers are known to exist today, all in museum collections.
5. Rømer's scale remained Denmark's official temperature standard until 1860.

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