Temperature Conversion: Celsius to Kelvin

Temperature Measurement Units

• Water ice melts at 0°C.
• The average temperature on Mars is -81°F.
• The standard room temperature is 288.15 K.

What is Temperature?

• Temperature is the objective measure of how hot or cold an object is.
• It is defined as the average kinetic energy of the molecules in an object.
• The kinetic energy of molecules increases when a heat source is placed near a container, causing molecules to move rapidly.
• The average kinetic energy of all molecules is called the temperature.

Measuring Temperature

• Temperature is measured using thermometers.
• There are various types of thermometers, such as alcohol and mercury thermometers, which depend on the increase of volume of substances as the temperature increases.
• Electrical resistance, color, and emission of infrared are also used to design thermometers.
• An infrared thermometer measures temperature by focusing infrared light from an object to a detector, which converts it into heat, producing a voltage output.

How Thermometers Work

• Thermometers work by measuring their own temperature.
• When a thermometer is placed in contact with a substance or object, heat is transferred from the hotter object to the colder one until thermal equilibrium is reached.
• The thermometer then registers its own temperature.

Temperature Scales

• There are three common temperature scales: Fahrenheit (F), Celsius (C), and Kelvin (K).
• Fahrenheit scale:
  • Developed by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724.
  • Freezing point of water is 32°F, boiling point is 212°F.
• Celsius scale:
  • Developed by Anders Celsius.
  • Freezing point of water is 0°C, boiling point is 100°C.
• Kelvin scale:
  • Also called the absolute temperature scale.
  • Defines the lowest possible temperature, 0 K, as absolute zero.
  • Freezing point of water is 273.15 K, boiling point is 373.15 K.

Temperature Unit Conversion

• Fahrenheit to Celsius and Kelvin:
  • To convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius, use: C = (F - 32) × 5/9.
  • To convert from Fahrenheit to Kelvin, use: K = (F - 32) × 5/9 + 273.15.
• Celsius to Fahrenheit and Kelvin:
  • To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit, use: F = C × 9/5 + 32.
  • To convert from Celsius to Kelvin, use: K = C + 273.15.
• Kelvin to Fahrenheit and Celsius:
  • To convert from Kelvin to Fahrenheit, use: F = (K - 273.15) × 9/5 + 32.
  • To convert from Kelvin to Celsius, use: C = K - 273.15.

Interesting Facts

• The normal human body temperature is around 98.6°F.
• The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth's surface was -89°C at Vostok Station, Antarctica.
• The temperature at the surface of the sun is around 5800 K.
• The Celsius scale was initially reversed, with 0°C as the boiling point and 100°C as the freezing point, but was later reversed to its current form.