The degree Celsius, named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius, is a unit of temperature with a fascinating dual nature. While it’s widely used every day for weather forecasts and cooking, it’s also pivotal in scientific endeavors. Celsius is part of the metric system, which makes it compatible with the Kelvin scale used in scientific research. Interestingly, Celsius was initially devised with an inverted scale, where 100 represented the freezing point of water and 0 its boiling point. It was only after Celsius’s death that Carolus Linnaeus, another Swedish scientist, reversed it to the standard we use today.
This unit is essential for understanding the physical properties of materials. For instance, the Celsius scale aligns perfectly with the properties of water, a substance vital for life on Earth. The fact that water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C under standard atmospheric conditions makes it convenient for daily temperature assessments. This simplicity helps avoid the complications of Fahrenheit, which is commonly used in the United States but does not share the intuitive reference points of Celsius.
The Kelvin scale, an absolute temperature scale, is named after the renowned physicist Lord Kelvin, who introduced it in 1848. Unlike Celsius or Fahrenheit, Kelvin starts at absolute zero, the theoretical point where atomic motion stops entirely. This makes it incredibly useful in scientific settings because it allows for a more straightforward understanding of thermal phenomena without negative numbers complicating calculations.
One fascinating fact about Kelvin is its connection to the cosmic microwave background radiation, the afterglow of the Big Bang. This radiation has a temperature of about 2.725 Kelvin, providing a glimpse into the universe just 380,000 years after its inception. Furthermore, Kelvin is crucial for describing phenomena like superconductivity and Bose-Einstein Condensates, which occur close to absolute zero, sparking innovations in technology and materials science.
| Degrees Celsius | Kelvins |
|---|---|
-50
°C
|
223.15
K
|
-48
°C
|
225.15
K
|
-46
°C
|
227.15
K
|
-44
°C
|
229.15
K
|
-42
°C
|
231.15
K
|
-40
°C
|
233.15
K
|
-38
°C
|
235.15
K
|
-36
°C
|
237.15
K
|
-34
°C
|
239.15
K
|
-32
°C
|
241.15
K
|
-30
°C
|
243.15
K
|
-28
°C
|
245.15
K
|
-26
°C
|
247.15
K
|
-24
°C
|
249.15
K
|
-22
°C
|
251.15
K
|
-20
°C
|
253.15
K
|
-18
°C
|
255.15
K
|
-16
°C
|
257.15
K
|
-14
°C
|
259.15
K
|
-12
°C
|
261.15
K
|
-10
°C
|
263.15
K
|
-8
°C
|
265.15
K
|
-6
°C
|
267.15
K
|
-4
°C
|
269.15
K
|
-2
°C
|
271.15
K
|
0
°C
|
273.15
K
|
2
°C
|
275.15
K
|
4
°C
|
277.15
K
|
6
°C
|
279.15
K
|
8
°C
|
281.15
K
|
10
°C
|
283.15
K
|
12
°C
|
285.15
K
|
14
°C
|
287.15
K
|
16
°C
|
289.15
K
|
18
°C
|
291.15
K
|
20
°C
|
293.15
K
|
22
°C
|
295.15
K
|
24
°C
|
297.15
K
|
26
°C
|
299.15
K
|
28
°C
|
301.15
K
|
30
°C
|
303.15
K
|
32
°C
|
305.15
K
|
34
°C
|
307.15
K
|
36
°C
|
309.15
K
|
38
°C
|
311.15
K
|
40
°C
|
313.15
K
|
42
°C
|
315.15
K
|
44
°C
|
317.15
K
|
46
°C
|
319.15
K
|
48
°C
|
321.15
K
|
50
°C
|
323.15
K
|
52
°C
|
325.15
K
|
54
°C
|
327.15
K
|
56
°C
|
329.15
K
|
58
°C
|
331.15
K
|
60
°C
|
333.15
K
|
62
°C
|
335.15
K
|
64
°C
|
337.15
K
|
66
°C
|
339.15
K
|
68
°C
|
341.15
K
|
70
°C
|
343.15
K
|
72
°C
|
345.15
K
|
74
°C
|
347.15
K
|
76
°C
|
349.15
K
|
78
°C
|
351.15
K
|
80
°C
|
353.15
K
|
82
°C
|
355.15
K
|
84
°C
|
357.15
K
|
86
°C
|
359.15
K
|
88
°C
|
361.15
K
|
90
°C
|
363.15
K
|
92
°C
|
365.15
K
|
94
°C
|
367.15
K
|
96
°C
|
369.15
K
|
98
°C
|
371.15
K
|
100
°C
|
373.15
K
|
| Conversion | Call to Action |
|---|---|
| Celsius to Degrees Fahrenheit | Go to converter |
| Celsius to Degrees Rankine | Go to converter |
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