Temp Converter
Fahrenheit (°F)
Definition: Fahrenheit is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit. On this scale, water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F.
History/origin: Daniel Fahrenheit used a brine solution (ice, water, and ammonium chloride) to set his 0° point and estimated human body temperature to be around 96°F (later corrected to 98.6°F).
Current use: Fahrenheit is primarily used in the United States, its territories, and several Caribbean nations (like the Bahamas and Belize) for everyday temperature and weather measurements.
Kelvin (K)
Definition: The kelvin (symbol: K) is the primary unit of temperature in the International System of Units (SI). One kelvin is equal to the fraction 1/273.16 of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.
History/origin: Named after the Belfast-born, Glasgow University engineer and physicist William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, who wrote of the need for an "absolute thermometric scale" in 1848.
Current use: The Kelvin scale is used almost exclusively in scientific and engineering fields, particularly in physics and astronomy, where absolute temperatures are necessary for complex calculations.
Fahrenheit (°F) to Kelvin (K) Conversion Table
| Fahrenheit (°F) [f] | Kelvin (K) [k] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 f | 0.01 k |
| 0.1 f | 0.1 k |
| 1 f | 1 k |
| 2 f | 2 k |
| 3 f | 3 k |
| 5 f | 5 k |
| 10 f | 10 k |
| 20 f | 20 k |
| 50 f | 50 k |
| 100 f | 100 k |
| 1000 f | 1000 k |
How to Convert Fahrenheit (°F) to Kelvin (K)
1 f = 1 k
1 k = 1 f
Example: convert 15 f to k:
15 f = 15 × 1 k = 15 k
Did You Know?
- Fahrenheit is the primary temperature scale used in the United States. To remember the difference: 0°F is very cold, and 100°F is very hot for a human, making it a very human-centric scale!
- Kelvin is the "absolute" temperature scale. 0 Kelvin is called "Absolute Zero," the point where all molecular motion stops. It is equivalent to -273.15° Celsius.