How do you convert Rankine to Delisle?

Use the formula De = (671.67 - R) x 5/6. At the freezing point of water: 491.67 R = 150 De. At the boiling point: 671.67 R = 0 De.

When would you need to convert Rankine to Delisle?

This conversion is needed when interpreting historical scientific records, comparing temperature data across different measurement traditions, or completing engineering calculations that mix temperature scales from different national standards.

What are the key reference points for both scales?

Water freezes at 491.67 R = 150 De. Water boils at 671.67 R = 0 De. These two fixed points anchor both scales and provide easy verification of any conversion calculation.

Rankine to Delisle (°R to °De) Converter

1 °R = 558.8917 °De

1 Rankine equals 558.8917 Delisle (1 °R = 558.8917 °De). Convert Rankine to Delisle with formula, table, and examples.

To convert Rankine to Delisle, use the formula: De = (671.67 - R) x 5/6. The Rankine scale is the absolute Fahrenheit scale used in US thermodynamic engineering, while the Delisle scale is the inverted 18th-century Russian scale. Water freezes at 491.67 degrees R (150 De) and boils at 671.67 degrees R (0 De).

How to Convert Rankine to Delisle

°R via Kelvin to °De

Formula: Rankine to Delisle

Convert to Kelvin: K = °R * 5 / 9
Convert to Delisle: °De = (373.15 - K) * 3 / 2
Read the result in Delisle

Common Rankine to Delisle Conversions

Rankine (°R)	Delisle (°De)	Status
0 °R	559.73 °De
100 °R	476.39 °De
200 °R	393.06 °De
300 °R	309.72 °De
400 °R	226.39 °De
459 °R	177.23 °De
491.67 °R	150 °De
500 °R	143.06 °De
530 °R	118.06 °De
559 °R	93.89 °De
600 °R	59.73 °De
671.67 °R	0 °De
700 °R	-23.61 °De
800 °R	-106.94 °De
1,000 °R	-273.61 °De

Good to Know About Rankine to Delisle Conversion

The history of temperature measurement is the history of scientific collaboration and competition across borders. The Rankine scale (used in American aerospace and chemical engineering) and the Delisle scale (used in Russia) represent different national contributions to solving the same fundamental problem: how to assign numbers to the sensation of hot and cold.

Rankine to Delisle: What You Need to Know

The Rankine scale was created by William Rankine, 1859, used in American aerospace and chemical engineering. The Delisle scale was created by Joseph-Nicolas Delisle, French astronomer, 1732, used in Russia. Converting between them bridges different eras and different measurement philosophies in the history of thermometry.

What is a Rankine? °R

An absolute temperature scale using Fahrenheit-sized degrees. 0 °R equals absolute zero. Used in some US engineering applications, especially thermodynamics.

Imperial thermodynamics US engineering heat transfer

Learn more about Rankine →

What is a Delisle? °De

A historical inverted temperature scale invented by Joseph-Nicolas Delisle in 1732. Water boils at 0 °De and freezes at 150 °De. Higher numbers mean colder temperatures.

Historical historical Russian meteorology

Learn more about Delisle →

Going the other way? Use our Delisle to Rankine converter.

Rankine to Delisle FAQ

Use the formula De = (671.67 - R) x 5/6. At the freezing point of water: 491.67 R = 150 De. At the boiling point: 671.67 R = 0 De.
This conversion is needed when interpreting historical scientific records, comparing temperature data across different measurement traditions, or completing engineering calculations that mix temperature scales from different national standards.
Water freezes at 491.67 R = 150 De. Water boils at 671.67 R = 0 De. These two fixed points anchor both scales and provide easy verification of any conversion calculation.

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Rankine to Delisle

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

Rankine is used daily by American chemical and aerospace engineers but is unknown to the general public. An American who has never taken a thermodynamics course has almost certainly never encountered Rankine. It is the insider's temperature scale - essential in certain engineering offices, invisible everywhere else.
In thermodynamics, temperature ratios matter. You cannot calculate heat engine efficiency using Fahrenheit because the zero point is arbitrary. Rankine solves this by starting at absolute zero while keeping Fahrenheit-sized degrees. American engineers who work with imperial units need Rankine the way international scientists need Kelvin.
Because thermodynamic equations require absolute temperature. In Fahrenheit, 0 F is not the absence of heat - it is just a cold day. In Rankine, 0 R truly means zero thermal energy. The difference matters enormously in engineering: dividing by zero Fahrenheit is meaningless, but zero Rankine is physically real.