120 Fahrenheit to Celsius
120 degrees Fahrenheit equals
48.89°C
48.89 degrees Celsius
120°F is 48.89°C — hot to the touch. Household hot water arrives somewhere in this range; most water heaters are set near 49°C (120.2°F) to limit scalding risk.
How to convert 120°F to °C
Formula
°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9
Substituting 120°F
- 120 − 32 = 88
- 88 × 5/9 = 48.89
Fahrenheit places the freezing point of water at 32 rather than 0, so that offset comes off first. What remains is then scaled by 5/9, because a Celsius degree covers 1.8 times as much temperature change as a Fahrenheit degree.
How 120°F compares
| Reference point | Temperature | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Freezing point of water | 0°C / 32°F | 48.9°C (88°F) warmer |
| Room temperature | 21°C / 69.8°F | 27.9°C (50.2°F) warmer |
| Body temperature | 37°C / 98.6°F | 11.9°C (21.4°F) warmer |
| Boiling point of water | 100°C / 212°F | 51.1°C (92°F) colder |