How to Translate Kelvin to Celsius

The mercury thermometer is the most common instrument used to measure temperature.

Temperature is commonly measured using an instrument called a mercury thermometer which was first invented by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1714. Fahrenheit also invented the commonly used unit of temperature, which divides the freezing and boiling points of water into 180 units (degrees). It was Anders Celsius who subsequently invented a different temperature scale in 1742. This scale divides the freezing and boiling points of water into 100 degrees, and is a standard unit used throughout Europe. Lord Kelvin found the lowest possible temperature in 1848 and dubbed it absolute zero, which has a value of -273 degrees Celsius.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator

Instructions

1. Measure the temperature in Celsius. Using the Celsius scale, the freezing point of water is 0 degrees, and the boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius.

2. Type the measured value of temperature in units of Celsius into the calculator.

3. Using the calculator, add 273 to the measured value in Celsius. Press the equals button. The result is the measured temperature in Kelvin.

References

• University of Uppsala: History of the Celsius Temperature Scale
• Chymist: Temperature