Kelvin

Kelvin

The kelvin (symbol: K) is a unit to measure temperature. It is one of the seven SI base units. It is defined by two factors: zero kelvin is absolute zero (when molecular motion stops), and one kelvin is the fraction 1/273.16 of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water (0.01 °C). The Celsius temperature scale is now defined in terms of the kelvin.

It is named after the physicist and engineer William Thomson, who became Lord Kelvin when he was made a peer.

The kelvin as an SI unit is correctly written with a lowercase k (unless at the beginning of a sentence), and is never preceded by the words degree or degrees, or the symbol °, like Fahrenheit, or Celsius. This is because the latter are scales of measurement, whereas the kelvin is a unit of measurement. Note that the symbol for a kelvin is always a capital K.

Conversion factors

kelvin to Celsius

Celsius to kelvin

kelvin to Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit to kelvin

electron volts to kelvin (see Boltzmann constant)

kelvin to electron volts

External link

Conversion Calculator for Units of TEMPERATURE, a Cleave Books website