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SubjectFree lesson

Temperature

ClassNotes Team 5 MIN READUPDATED 5 JUL 2026

WEEK 1

Topic: Temperature

Pupils should be able to

(i) compare the degree of hotness or coldness in degrees Celsius e.g. (a) my body’s temperature(b) the temperature in the classroom(c) the temperature of northern Nigerian and southern Nigeria(d) the temperature of the boiling water and the water in the normal room temperature

(ii) convert a given temperature in Centigrade to Fahrenheit using the Formula (9/5 X°C) +32

Study the following pictures

Temperature

How does each of the situations feel on your body?

Oral activity

How will you describe each picture as stated below? The first has been done for you.

1. Boiling water in a kettle – very hot    2. Water coming out of the tap

3. Rainfall    4. Family fanning themselves   5. A glass of cold water

The activities above describe how hot or cold each of the situations is. This is called

temperature.

The degree of hotness or coldness of an object is known as temperature.

To measure temperature, we use a thermometer. When the temperature of an object

changes, the liquid in the thermometer moves up or down. Temperature is measured in

degrees Celsius (or centigrade) ºC or degrees Fahrenheit (ºF).

Mercury thermometer

-10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 °C

28°C

The thermometer above is called a mercury thermometer. It is used in measuring the

temperature of water, air and other liquid. It is graduated in 10 degrees i.e. 0, 10, 20 …

The thermometer drawn above ranges from –10ºC to 110ºC. There are five divisions

between any two numbers of the thermometer dr

Temperature

above. Thus, each division equals 2ºC   Water boils at 100ºC.This is also 212ºF(100ºC = 212ºF).

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEGREES CELSIUS AND DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

The diagram below shows the temperature scales for degrees Celsius and degrees

Fahrenheit.

The Fahrenheit and Celsius scales are different.

The boiling point of water is at 100ºC or 212ºF.

The freezing point of water is at 0ºC or 32ºF.

On the Celsius scale 0ºC and 100ºC are 100 divisions apart, while on

the Fahrenheit scale 32ºF and 212ºF are 180 divisions apart (212–32 =

180). That implies that 100 degrees on the Celsius scale are equivalent to

180 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale.

100 Celsius units = 180 Fahrenheit units

1 Celsius unit = 180/100 Fahrenheit unit

= 1.8 Fahrenheit unit

= 9/5Fahrenheit unit

10 Celsius units = 9/5× 10 = 18 Fahrenheit units

From the temperature scale, we can see

:0ºC = 32ºF (95× 0 + 32 = 0 + 32 = 32)

10ºC = 50ºF (95× 10 + 32 = 18 + 32 = 50)

20ºC = 68ºF (95× 20 + 32 = 36 + 32 = 68)

Therefore, temperature from degree Celsius (ºC) to degree Fahrenheit (ºF) is given as:

F = 9/5× C + 32 F = 9 C/5 + 32

Subtract 32 from both sides:

F – 32 = 9 C/5

Multiply both sides by 9/5

5/9(F – 32) =9 C/5 ×5/9       C =5/9(F – 32)

Examples

1. Here 40ºC is converted to degrees

Fahrenheit.

Solution

F = 9/5× C + 32

= 9/5× 40 + 32

= 72 + 32 = 104

Therefore, 40ºC = 104ºF

2. Here 95ºF is converted to degrees

Celsius.

Solution

C = 5/9(95 – 32)

= 5/9× 63

= 35

Therefore, 95ºF = 35ºC

Exercise

A. Convert these temperatures to degrees Fahrenheit.

1. 25ºC 2. 15ºC 3. 17.5ºC 4. 80ºC 5. 0ºC 6. 30ºC

7. 12.5ºC 8. 100ºC 9. 1000ºC 10. 450ºC 11. 75ºC 12. 1250ºC

B. Convert these temperatures to degrees Celsius.

1. 77ºF 2. 68ºF 3. 392ºF 4. 158ºF 5. 122ºF 6. 149ºF

7. 176ºF 8. 221ºF 9. 1472ºF 10. 806ºF 11. 950ºF 12. 1750ºF

temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of an object

the instrument used in measuring (checking) temperature is the thermometer

the mercury thermometer is used to check room or air temperature

the clinical thermometer is used to check human body temperature

the maximum and minimum thermometer is used to check the lowest and the highest

the temperature at a weather station

on the temperature scale, degrees Celsius can be converted to degrees Fahrenheit

and vice versa

to change the temperature from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit use this

formula:

F = 9/5× C + 32

the temperature from degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius is given as

C = 2/9(F – 32).

Revision exercise 22

1. The table below shows the normal temperature (ºC) in Lokoja for a

six-month period.

Month             Monthly (ºC) temperature

April                      28.9

May                       28.3

June                      22.2

July                        33.4

August                   22.2

September            29.4

Answer the following questions:

a) Which month had the highest temperature? b) Which months had the same temperature?

c) Which were the coldest months? d) By how much was September hotter than April?

e) What was the average temperature for the six months

2. Convert these temperatures to degrees Fahrenheit.

a) 15ºC b) 28ºC c) 125ºC d) 305ºC

e) 7.5ºC f) 15.5ºC g) 45ºC h) 18.5ºC

3. Convert these temperatures to degrees Celsius.

a) 113ºF b) 86ºF c) 68ºF d) 131ºF

e) 158ºF f) 284ºF g) 599ºF h) 680ºF