What Is a Temperature Converter and Why Does It Exist? A temperature converter is a tool that transforms temperature measurements from one scale to another. Think of it as a translation tool—just like you might translate English to Spanish, a temperature converter translates 20 degrees Celsius into 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature converters exist because the world uses different temperature scales. If you travel internationally, follow recipes from other countries, work in science or healthcare, or interact with weather forecasts worldwide, you'll encounter temperatures in different units. Without converters, comparing temperatures across regions or industries would be confusing and error-prone. Why Multiple Temperature Scales Exist Different temperature scales were invented at different times by different people for different reasons. Understanding this history helps explain why conversion is necessary. In 1724, Daniel Fahrenheit, a German physicist, created the Fahrenheit sca...