Absolute temperature scale using Fahrenheit degrees
This article is about the temperature scale. For the idealized thermodynamic cycle for a steam engine, see Rankine cycle. For the scale measuring recovery after stroke, see Modified Rankin Scale.
The Rankine scale is used in engineering systems where heat computations are done using degrees Fahrenheit.[3]
The symbol for degrees Rankine is °R[2] (or °Ra if necessary to distinguish it from the Rømer and Réaumur scales). By analogy with the SI unit kelvin, some authors term the unit Rankine, omitting the degree symbol.[4][5]
Some temperatures relating the Rankine scale to other temperature scales are shown in the table below.
^The freezing point of brine is the zero point of Fahrenheit scale, old definition, see: Grigull 1986
^The ice point of purified water has been measured to be 0.000089(10) degrees Celsius – see Magnum 1995
^For Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water at one standard atmosphere (101.325 kPa) when calibrated solely per the two-point definition of thermodynamic temperature. Older definitions of the Celsius scale once defined the boiling point of water under one standard atmosphere as being precisely 100 °C. However, the current definition results in a boiling point that is actually 16.1 mK less. For more about the actual boiling point of water, see VSMOW in temperature measurement.
