The Reaumur Scale, named after its creator René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, is a temperature scale that was commonly used in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. The correct spelling of this word is [ʁømøʁ], which is written with accents above the letters indicating that they should be pronounced with a rising intonation. The Reaumur Scale was based on the freezing and boiling points of water and is now considered obsolete, having been replaced by the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales.
The Reaumur Scale, also known as the "°Ré" scale, is a temperature scale used primarily in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was developed by René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, a French scientist, and is named after him. The scale is based on the freezing and boiling points of water, with 0°Ré corresponding to the freezing point and 80°Ré representing the boiling point.
On the Reaumur Scale, the interval between the two fixed points, freezing and boiling, is divided into 80 equal parts, or degrees. Unlike the more widely used Celsius or Fahrenheit scales, which have 100 and 180 degrees separating the freezing and boiling points respectively, the Reaumur Scale divides this range into fewer increments. As a result, one degree on the Reaumur Scale is slightly larger than one degree on the Celsius Scale.
Although the Reaumur Scale was widely used in certain parts of Europe for several centuries, it eventually fell out of widespread use as the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales gained prominence. Today, outside of historical and academic contexts, the Reaumur Scale is rarely utilized. However, it still holds historical significance in understanding the development of measurement systems and is occasionally mentioned in historical literature or studies.
The etymology of the word "Reaumur Scale" can be traced back to the French scientist René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, who developed this temperature scale in the early 18th century. The Reaumur Scale was one of the earliest scientific temperature scales, which divided the range between the freezing and boiling points of water into 80 equal parts. It gained popularity in Europe before being largely replaced by the Celsius scale.