Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit | |
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Born | 24 May 1686 (14 May Old Style) |
Died | 16 September 1736 | (aged 50)
Known for | Precision thermometry Alcohol thermometer Mercury-in-glass thermometer Fahrenheit scale Fahrenheit hydrometer |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Physics (thermometry) |
Signature | |
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit FRS (/ˈfærənhaɪt/; German: [ˈfaːʁn̩haɪt]; 24 May 1686 – 16 September 1736)[1] was a physicist, inventor, and scientific instrument maker, born in Poland to a family of German extraction. Fahrenheit invented thermometers accurate and consistent enough to allow the comparison of temperature measurements between different observers using different instruments.[2] Fahrenheit is also credited with inventing mercury-in-glass thermometers more accurate and superior to spirit-filled thermometers at the time. The popularity of his thermometers led to the widespread adoption of his Fahrenheit scale attached to his instruments.[3]