TEMPERATURE SCALES
Temperature can be expressed in degrees Celsius (°C); water freezes at 0°C and
boils at 100°C. Temperature can also be expressed in the absolute temperature
scale, in which temperatures are expressed in kelvins (K). On the kelvin scale,
water freezes at 273.15 K and boils at 373.15 K. (The degree sign is not used for
absolute temperature.) The kelvin scale assigns a value of 0 K to the lowest
theoretically possible temperature and a value of 273.16 K to the triple point of
water (the temperature at which the three phases of water—liquid water, ice, and
vapor—coexist).
Absolutely Metric
The SAT Physics Subject
Test doesn’t bother with
Fahrenheit. Know Celsius
and Kelvin.A kelvin is equal in size to a Celsius degree, and the conversion between
kelvins and degrees Celsius is approximately:T (K) = T (°C) + 273- Room temperature is 20°C. What is this temperature in kelvins?
Here’s How to Crack It
To convert to kelvins, add 273: Room temperature is 20 + 273 = 293 K.