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Degrees Rankine (°Ra) Unit Definition
Rankine is a thermodynamic (absolute) temperature scale named after the Scottish engineer and physicist William John Macquorn Rankine, who proposed it in 1859. The symbol is °R or °Ra if necessary, to distinguish it from the Rømer and Réaumur scales. As with the Kelvin scale, zero on the Rankine scale is absolute zero. The Rankine scale differs from the Kelvin scale in that it uses smaller, degrees Fahrenheit increments rather than degrees Celsius increments.
Overview
The symbol for degrees Rankine is °R or °Ra if necessary, to distinguish it from the Rømer and Réaumur scales. Some authors term the unit Rankine and choose to omit the degree symbol. Zero on both the Kelvin and Rankine scales is absolute zero, but a temperature difference of one Rankine degree is defined as equal to one Fahrenheit degree, in contrast to the Celsius degree which is used on the Kelvin scale. Therefore, a temperature of 0 K (−273.15 °C; −459.67 °F) is equal to 0 °Ra, and a temperature of −458.67 °F equal to 1 °Ra. Many engineering fields measure thermodynamic temperature using the Rankine scale. However, throughout the scientific world where measurements are made in SI units, thermodynamic temperature is generally measured in kelvins.
History
The Rankine scale is an absolute scale of thermodynamic temperature named after Glasgow University engineer and physicist William John Macquorn Rankine, who proposed it in 1859. The Kelvin scale was first proposed in 1848.
Common Temperatures
Absolute zero (exactly): 0 °Ra
Boiling point of liquid nitrogen: 139.23 °Ra
Sublimation point of dry ice: 351.27 °Ra
Intersection of Celsius and Fahrenheit scales: 419.67 °Ra
Melting point of H2O (purified ice): 491.67 °Ra
Room temperature (NIST standard): 527.67 °Ra
Normal human body temperature (average): 558.27 °Ra
Waters boiling point at 1 atm (101.325 kPa) (approximate: see Boiling point): 671.64 °Ra
Conversion Formulas
Here are the conversion formulas used to convert both from and to degrees rankine:
From Rankine |
To Rankine |
|
Celsius or Centigrade |
[°C] = (([°Ra] ÷ 1.8) - 273.15) |
[°Ra] = (([°C] + 273.15) × 1.8) |
Delisle |
[°De] = ((([°Ra] - 491.67) ÷ 1.2) - 100) |
[°Ra] = ((([°De] + 100) × 1.2) + 491.67) |
Fahrenheit |
[°F] = ([°Ra] - 459.67) |
[°Ra] = ([°F] + 459.67) |
Newton |
[°N] = (([°Ra] ÷ 0.18333) + 491.67) |
[°Ra] = (([°N] - 491.67) × 0.18333) |
Réaumur |
[°Re] = (([°Ra] - 491.67) ÷ 2.25) |
[°Ra] = (([°Re] × 2.25) + 491.67) |
Rømer |
[°Rø] = ((([°Ra] - 491.67) ÷ 3.4286) + 7.5) |
[°Ra] = ((([°Rø] - 7.5) × 3.4286) + 491.67) |
Kelvin |
[K] = ((([°Ra] - 491.67) ÷ 1.8) + 273.15) |
[°Ra] = ((([K] - 273.15) × 1.8) + 491.67) |
Other Temperature Unit Definitions
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Sources
“Rankine Scale.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankine_scale.