How do I convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (formula)?

To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply the Celsius temperature by nine fifths and then add thirty-two.

Think of Celsius like a neat ruler and Fahrenheit like a different ruler with bigger steps between marks, so we stretch and shift the number to match. First you multiply the Celsius number by nine fifths, which is the same as multiplying by nine and then dividing by five; that makes the scale larger because Fahrenheit degrees are smaller units. After stretching, you add thirty-two to shift the whole scale because zero on the Celsius ruler is not the same place as zero on the Fahrenheit ruler. So take your Celsius value, multiply by nine, divide by five, and then add thirty-two, and that gives you the Fahrenheit reading.

Students often forget to add thirty-two after doing the multiplication, which leaves the answer too low; always finish the shift step. Another common mistake is multiplying by nine fifths the wrong way and dividing first by nine instead of by five, so remember to multiply by nine then divide by five or multiply by nine fifths as one fraction. Some people try to use a calculator but enter the operations out of order, so use parentheses or do the multiplication and division before adding thirty-two to keep the math right.

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Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit Quickly

1. Multiply Celsius by 9/5
2. Multiply then divide, or use fraction
3. Add 32 after multiplying
4. Use parentheses for order of operations

Common Celsius to Fahrenheit Mistakes

1. Forgetting to add 32
2. Reversing multiply/divide steps
3. Entering operations out of order

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