Kelvin

Kelvin (K)

Kelvin is the SI base unit of thermodynamic temperature. Unlike Celsius or Fahrenheit, Kelvin is an absolute scale with its zero point at absolute zero (the lowest possible temperature), making it ideal for scientific calculations.

Characteristics

• SI base unit of temperature
• Absolute scale: 0 K = -273.15°C
• No negative temperatures in Kelvin (by definition)
• Water freezes at: 273.15 K
• Water boils at: 373.15 K
• Used in: physics, astronomy, thermodynamics, chemistry

Conversion Formulas

• To Celsius: °C = K - 273.15
• To Fahrenheit: °F = (K - 273.15) × 9/5 + 32
• From Celsius: K = °C + 273.15
• From Fahrenheit: K = (°F - 32) × 5/9 + 273.15

Examples

• Absolute zero: 0 K
• Room temperature: ~293 K
• Body temperature: ~310 K