MEASUREMENT

1.2 - Temperature Measurements

There are three common temperature scale:

• Fahrenheit (^oF)
• Celsius (^oC)
• Kelvin (K)

Do you know how to convert between a temperature measured in Celsius to a temperature in Fahrenheit and vice-versa?

The Kelvin Scale (K)

Of the three scales, the Kelvin scale is used in the SI system. This scale is based on the lowest theoretical temperature known as absolute zero. Lord William Kelvin proposed this scale such that a degree in the Celsius scale is the same size as a degree in the Kelvin scale. The conversion to the Kelvin scale from the Celsius scale is

Approximate temperatures:

• room temperature is approximately 298K (approximately 25^oC)
• when helium gas becomes a liquid, it is approximately 4K (approximately -277^oC)
• when nitrogen gas becomes a liquid, it is approximately 77K (approximately -196^oC)

Section 2.3
Temperature ..p18

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