Home All Definitions Unit Degrees Newton (°N) Unit Definition

Degrees Newton (°N) Unit Definition

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The Newton scale is a temperature scale devised by Isaac Newton in 1701. He called his device a thermometer, but he did not use the term temperature, instead electing to use degrees of heat (gradus caloris). He at first created a qualitative temperature scale, comprising about twenty reference points ranging from cold air in winter to glowing coals in the kitchen fire. Newton later defined the zero degree of heat as melting snow and 33 degrees of heat as boiling water. He called his instrument a thermometer. The symbol for the newton scale is °N.

Overview

Newton used linseed oil as thermometric material and measured its change of volume against his reference points. He set as 0 on his scale the heat of air in winter at which water begins to freeze. His scale is reminiscent of the standard of the modern Celsius scale (0 °N = 0 °C), but he has no single second reference point. He does give the heat at which water begins to boil as 33 degrees, but this is not a defining reference. The values for body temperature and the freezing and boiling point of water suggest a conversion factor between the Newton and the Celsius scale of between about 3.08 (12 °N = 37 °C) and 3.03 (33 °N = 100 °C) but since the objectively verifiable reference points given result in irreconcilable data (especially for high temperatures), no unambiguous "conversion" between the scales is possible.

History

The Newton scale is a temperature scale devised by Isaac Newton in 1701. He called his device a thermometer, but he did not use the term temperature, instead electing to use degrees of heat (gradus caloris). Newton's publication represents the first attempt to introduce an objective way of measuring what would come to be called temperature alongside the Rømer scale published at nearly the same time. Newton likely developed his scale for practical use rather than for a theoretical interest in thermodynamics. He had been appointed Warden of the Mint in 1695, and Master of the Mint in 1699, and his interest in the melting points of metals are likely inspired by his duties in connection with the Royal Mint.

The linseed thermometer could be used up to the melting point of tin. For higher temperatures, Newton used a sufficiently thick piece of iron that was heated until red-hot and then exposed to the wind. On this piece of iron, samples of metals and alloys were placed, which melted and then again solidified upon cooling. Newton then determined the degrees of heat of these samples based on the solidification times and tied this scale to the linseed one by measuring the melting point of tin in both systems. This second system of measurement led Newton to derive his law of convective heat transfer, also known as Newton's law of cooling.

Reference Points

In his publication, Newton gives 18 reference points (in addition to a range of meteorological air temperatures), which he labels by two systems, one in arithmetic progression and the other in geometric progression, as follows:

Arithmetic Progression

Geometric Progression

Temperature Reference Point

0

-

The heat of air in winter at which water begins to freeze. This point may be accurately determined by pressing the thermometer into melting snow.

0,1,2

-

The heats of air in winter

2,3,4

-

The heats of air in spring and autumn

4,5,6

-

The heat of air in summer

6

-

The heat at midday about the month of July

12

1

The greatest heat which a thermometer takes up when in contact with the human body

14

The greatest heat of a bath which one can endure for some time when the hand is dipped in and is kept in constant movement

17

The greatest heat of a bath which one can endure for some time when the hand is dipped in and is kept still

20

-

The heat of a bath in which liquid wax slowly becomes solid and assumes transparency

24

2

The heat of a bath in which solid wax melts and is conserved in liquid state without boiling

28

Intermediate point between the boiling point of water and the melting point of wax

34

-

The heat at which water boils vehemently (the temperature at which water begins to boil is given as an additional value in the description, as 33)

40

-

Melting point of an alloy of one part lead, four parts tin and five parts bismuth

48

3

Melting point of an alloy of equal parts of bismuth and tin

57

Melting point of an alloy of one part bismuth and two parts tin

68

Melting point of an alloy of one part bismuth and eight parts tin

81

-

Melting point of bismuth

96

4

Melting point of lead

114

Heat of bodies that can barely be seen glowing at night

136

Heat of bodies that can be seen glowing by twilight

161

-

Heat of bodies that can be seen glowing by daylight

192

5

Heat of iron glowing as brightly as possible

Common Temperatures

  • Absolute zero (exactly): -90.14 °N

  • Boiling point of liquid nitrogen: -64.61 °N

  • Sublimation point of dry ice: -25.74 °N

  • Intersection of Celsius and Fahrenheit scales: -13.20 °N

  • Melting point of H2O (purified ice): -0.000033 °N

  • Room temperature (NIST standard): 6.60 °N

  • Normal human body temperature (average): 12.21 °N

  • Waters boiling point at 1 atm (101.325 kPa) (approximate: see Boiling point): 32.9947 °N

Conversion Formulas

Here are the conversion formulas used to convert both from and to degrees newton:

From Newton

To Newton

Celsius or Centigrade

[°C] = ([°N] × 0.33)

[°N] = ([°C] × 0.33)

Delisle

[°De] = (([°N] ÷ 0.22) - 100)

[°N] = (([°De] + 100) × 0.22)

Fahrenheit

[°F] = (([°N] ÷ 0.18333) + 32)

[°N] = (([°F] - 32) × 0.18333)

Rankine

[°Ra] = (([°N] ÷ 0.18333) + 491.67)

[°N] = (([°Ra] - 491.67) × 0.18333)

Réaumur

[°Re] = ([°N] ÷ 0.41250)

[°N] = ([°Re] × 0.41250)

Rømer

[°Rø] = (([°N] ÷ 0.62857) + 7.5)

[°N] = (([°Rø] - 7.5) × 0.62857)

Kelvin

[K] = ([°N] ÷ 0.33) + 273.15)

[°N] = (([K] - 273.15) × 0.33)

Other Temperature Unit Definitions

Convert to Another Temperature Unit

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Related Definitions

Disclaimer

Though every effort has been made to test this unit converter, we are not to be held liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages or monetary losses of any kind arising out of or in connection with the use of any of the converter tools and information sourced from this website. This unit converter is provided as a service to you, please use at your own risk. Do not use calculations for anything where loss of life, money, property, etc could result from inaccurate unit conversions.

For more information: please see our full disclaimer.

Sources

“Newton Scale.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_scale.

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