Temperature · Unit Converter

Convert Rømer to Delisle

Convert degrees rømer to degrees delisle instantly. °De = 171.4285714286 − (°Rø × 20/7) — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a reference-temperature table and worked examples. Also check the Delisle to Rømer converter for the reverse conversion.

Written by Sunith Babu L, Ph.D., Lead Engineer Reviewed by Girish V Kulkarni Ph.D.
Temperature category 2 min read Published Last reviewed Updated

Units explained

Historical Scales

Rømer

What is a degree rømer?

The degree Rømer (°Rø) sets the freezing point of water at 7.5 °Rø and the boiling point at 60 °Rø; one degree Rømer equals exactly 40/21 of a kelvin (about 1.905 K).

Origin of the degree rømer

Created by Danish astronomer Ole Rømer — famous for making the first quantitative measurement of the speed of light — who set 0 °Rø at the temperature of a salt-ice brine and 60 °Rø at boiling water.

Where it is used

Of historical rather than practical importance: it is remembered as the direct ancestor of the Fahrenheit scale and appears mainly in the history of science and in metrology coursework.

When and where it was developed

Devised by Ole Rømer in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1701; Daniel Fahrenheit visited Rømer in 1708 and adapted this scale into his own.

Historical Scales

Delisle

What is a degree delisle?

The degree Delisle (°De) is a famously reversed scale: water boils at 0 °De and freezes at 150 °De, so numbers increase as temperature falls. One degree Delisle corresponds to exactly −2/3 of a kelvin.

Origin of the degree delisle

Invented by French astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle while directing the observatory in St. Petersburg, Russia; his thermometers were originally graduated by the contraction of mercury cooling down from the boiling point of water.

Where it is used

Widely used in 18th-century Russia for about a century. Today it appears only in the history of thermometry, where it is the textbook example of an inverted temperature scale.

When and where it was developed

Created by Joseph-Nicolas Delisle in St. Petersburg in 1732; recalibrated to the familiar 150-division form by Josias Weitbrecht in 1738.

Rømer to Delisle conversion formula

The exact relationship between degrees rømer and degrees delisle:

°De = 171.4285714286 − (°Rø × 20/7)
°Rø = 60 − (°De × 7/20)

To convert degrees rømer to degrees delisle, multiply the value by 20/7 and subtract the result from 171.4285714286. To reverse, multiply the value by 7/20 and subtract the result from 60.

Reference anchors: water freezes at 7.5 °Rø = 150 °De and boils at 60 °Rø = 0 °De (at standard atmospheric pressure).

How to use this converter

Type a value into the calculator. The result in degrees delisle updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Delisle to Rømer converter for the reverse direction.

Step-by-step: convert degrees rømer to degrees delisle

  1. Write down the temperature in degrees rømer (°Rø).
  2. Multiply the value by 20/7 and subtract the result from 171.4285714286.
  3. The result is the same temperature expressed in degrees delisle (°De).
  4. To reverse, multiply the value by 7/20 and subtract the result from 60 — or open the Delisle to Rømer converter.

Worked examples

Example 1 — Convert 26.925 °Rø to °De (human body temperature):
171.4285714286 − (26.925 × 20/7) = 94.5 °De

Example 2 — Convert 60 °Rø to °De (the boiling point of water):
171.4285714286 − (60 × 20/7) = 0 °De

Rømer to Delisle conversion table

Physically meaningful reference temperatures, from absolute zero to the surface of the Sun, converted from degrees rømer to degrees delisle:

Rømer [°Rø]Delisle [°De]Reference point
-135.90375559.725Absolute zero
-13.5210Where Celsius and Fahrenheit coincide (−40°)
-1.8333333333176.6666666667Zero Fahrenheit (0 °F)
7.5150Water freezes (0 °C / 32 °F)
7.50525149.985Triple point of water
12.75135Cool day (10 °C / 50 °F)
18120Room temperature (20 °C / 68 °F)
20.625112.5Standard laboratory temperature (25 °C)
23.25105Hot day (30 °C / 86 °F)
26.92594.5Human body temperature (37 °C / 98.6 °F)
28.590Heat-wave day (40 °C / 104 °F)
33.7575Hot tap water (50 °C / 122 °F)
600Water boils (100 °C / 212 °F)
102-120Moderate baking oven (180 °C / 356 °F)
2897.54625-8107.275Surface of the Sun (≈5,505 °C)

Frequently asked questions

What is 26.925 °Rø in °De?
26.925 °Rø equals 94.5 °De — normal human body temperature.
How do I convert degrees rømer to degrees delisle?
Use the formula °De = 171.4285714286 − (°Rø × 20/7): multiply the value by 20/7 and subtract the result from 171.4285714286.
How do I convert degrees delisle back to degrees rømer?
Apply the reverse formula °Rø = 60 − (°De × 7/20) — multiply the value by 7/20 and subtract the result from 60 — or use the Delisle to Rømer converter.
At what temperature do the Rømer and Delisle scales read the same number?
Both scales show the same number at 44.4444444444: 44.4444444444 °Rø = 44.4444444444 °De. Set °De = °Rø in the conversion formula and solve to verify it.
Can a temperature be below absolute zero?
No. Absolute zero (0 K = −273.15 °C = −459.67 °F) is the floor of the thermodynamic temperature scale. The calculator flags any input that would fall below it.

Convert Rømer to other temperature units

Show all Rømer conversions

Sources & references

Conversion relationship (°De = 171.4285714286 − (°Rø × 20/7)) verified against the following authoritative sources:

Results are provided for general reference. Verify critical measurements against an authoritative standard.