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Anders Celsius's original thermometer used a reversed scale, with 100 as the freezing point and 0 as the boiling point of water.. In 1742, Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744) created a temperature scale that was the reverse of the scale now known as "Celsius": 0 represented the boiling point of water, while 100 represented the freezing point of water. [5]
Unlike the degree Fahrenheit and degree Celsius, the kelvin is no longer referred to or written as a degree (but was before 1967 [1] [2] [3]). The kelvin is the primary unit of temperature measurement in the physical sciences, but is often used in conjunction with the degree Celsius, which has the same magnitude. Other scales of temperature:
Most scientists measure temperature using the Celsius scale and thermodynamic temperature using the Kelvin scale, which is the Celsius scale offset so that its null point is 0 K = −273.15 °C, or absolute zero. Many engineering fields in the US, notably high-tech and US federal specifications (civil and military), also use the Kelvin and ...
The theoretical temperature is determined by extrapolating the ideal gas law; by international agreement, absolute zero is taken as 0 kelvin (International System of Units), which is −273.15 degrees on the Celsius scale, [1] [2] and equals −459.67 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale (United States customary units or imperial units). [3]
It may be in plural form as appropriate (for example, "it is 283 kelvins outside", as for "it is 50 degrees Fahrenheit" and "10 degrees Celsius"). [ 54 ] [ 5 ] [ 55 ] [ 56 ] The unit's symbol K is a capital letter, [ 39 ] per the SI convention to capitalize symbols of units derived from the name of a person. [ 57 ]
The degree Celsius (°C) can refer to a specific temperature on the Celsius scale as well as a unit to indicate a temperature interval (a difference between two temperatures). From 1744 until 1954, 0 °C was defined as the freezing point of water and 100 °C was defined as the boiling point of water, both at a pressure of one standard atmosphere.
In every day use, Celsius is more commonly used than Kelvin, however a temperature difference of one Kelvin is the same as one degree Celsius and that is defined as 1 / 100 of the temperature differential between the freezing and boiling points of water at sea level. A temperature in Kelvin is the temperature in Celsius plus about 273.
Mercury-in-glass thermometer measuring an ambient temperature of 23 °C (73 °F) a little above the room temperature range. Room temperature, colloquially, denotes the range of air temperatures most people find comfortable indoors while dressed in typical clothing.