Kelvin

The kelvin (symbol: K) is the <a href="/facts/SI_base_unit/M7PsTWg4">base unit</a> for <a href="/facts/Temperature/QyGe4gmj">temperature</a> in the <a href="/facts/International_System_of_Units/S7YLglNz">International System of Units</a> (SI). The Kelvin scale is an <a href="/facts/Absolute_scale/msMR1S2c">absolute</a> <a href="/facts/Temperature_scale/b2D6632R">temperature scale</a> that starts at the lowest possible temperature (<a href="/facts/Absolute_zero/U3UyPl2K">absolute zero</a>), taken to be 0 K. By definition, the <a href="/facts/Celsius/okAEu1CA">Celsius</a> scale (symbol °C) and the Kelvin scale have the exact same magnitude; that is, a rise of 1 K is equal to a rise of 1 °C and vice versa, and any temperature in degrees Celsius can be converted to kelvin by adding 273.15.
The 19th century British scientist <a href="/facts/Lord_Kelvin/LTIxG1jV">Lord Kelvin</a> first developed and proposed the scale. It was often called the "absolute Celsius" scale in the early 20th century. The kelvin was formally added to the International System of Units in 1954, defining 273.16 K to be the <a href="/facts/Triple_point_of_water/Npary634">triple point of water</a>. The Celsius, <a href="/facts/Fahrenheit/2TVmyJod">Fahrenheit</a>, and <a href="/facts/Rankine_scale/ya5sNd2C">Rankine</a> scales were redefined in terms of the Kelvin scale using this definition. The <a href="/facts/2019_revision_of_the_SI/g0h07jCX">2019 revision of the SI</a> now defines the kelvin in terms of energy by setting the <a href="/facts/Boltzmann_constant/5DIejyR3">Boltzmann constant</a> to exactly 1.380649×10−23 <a href="/facts/Joules/9ndq9jD2">joules</a> per kelvin; every 1 K change of <a href="/facts/Thermodynamic_temperature/JXeJJPa6">thermodynamic temperature</a> corresponds to a <a href="/facts/Thermal_energy/eVaKAC7K">thermal energy</a> change of exactly 1.380649×10−23 J.

Kelvin open-in-new

Kelvin