Conversion of scales of temperature explained

This is a collection of temperature conversion formulas and comparisons among eight different temperature scales, several of which have long been obsolete.

Temperatures on scales that either do not share a numeric zero or are nonlinearly related cannot correctly be mathematically equated (related using the symbol =), and thus temperatures on different scales are more correctly described as corresponding (related using the symbol ≘).

Comparison values chart

Celsius Fahrenheit Kelvin Rankine Delisle Newton Réaumur Rømer
500.00 932.00 773.15 1391.67 −600.00 165.00 400.00 270.00
490.00 914.00 763.15 1373.67 −585.00 161.70 392.00 264.75
480.00 896.00 753.15 1355.67 −570.00 158.40 384.00 259.50
470.00 878.00 743.15 1337.67 −555.00 155.10 376.00 254.25
460.00 860.00 733.15 1319.67 −540.00 151.80 368.00 249.00
450.00 842.00 723.15 1301.67 −525.00 148.50 360.00 243.75
440.00 824.00 713.15 1283.67 −510.00 145.20 352.00 238.50
430.00 806.00 703.15 1265.67 −495.00 141.90 344.00 233.25
420.00 788.00 693.15 1247.67 −480.00 138.60 336.00 228.00
410.00 770.00 683.15 1229.67 −465.00 135.30 328.00 222.75
400.00 752.00 673.15 1211.67 −450.00 132.00 320.00 217.50
390.00 734.00 663.15 1193.67 −435.00 128.70 312.00 212.25
380.00 716.00 653.15 1175.67 −420.00 125.40 304.00 207.00
370.00 698.00 643.15 1157.67 −405.00 122.10 296.00 201.75
360.00 680.00 633.15 1139.67 −390.00 118.80 288.00 196.50
350.00 662.00 623.15 1121.67 −375.00 115.50 280.00 191.25
340.00 644.00 613.15 1103.67 −360.00 112.20 272.00 186.00
330.00 626.00 603.15 1085.67 −345.00 108.90 264.00 180.75
320.00 608.00 593.15 1067.67 −330.00 105.60 256.00 175.50
310.00 590.00 583.15 1049.67 −315.00 102.30 248.00 170.25
300.00 572.00 573.15 1031.67 −300.00 99.00 240.00 165.00
290.00 554.00 563.15 1013.67 −285.00 95.70 232.00 159.75
280.00 536.00 553.15 995.67 −270.00 92.40 224.00 154.50
270.00 518.00 543.15 977.67 −255.00 89.10 216.00 149.25
260.00 500.00 533.15 959.67 −240.00 85.80 208.00 144.00
250.00 482.00 523.15 941.67 −225.00 82.50 200.00 138.75
240.00 464.00 513.15 923.67 −210.00 79.20 192.00 133.50
230.00 446.00 503.15 905.67 −195.00 75.90 184.00 128.25
220.00 428.00 493.15 887.67 −180.00 72.60 176.00 123.00
210.00 410.00 483.15 869.67 −165.00 69.30 168.00 117.75
200.00 392.00 473.15 851.67 −150.00 66.00 160.00 112.50
190.00 374.00 463.15 833.67 −135.00 62.70 152.00 107.25
180.00 356.00 453.15 815.67 −120.00 59.40 144.00 102.00
170.00 338.00 443.15 797.67 −105.00 56.10 136.00 96.75
160.00 320.00 433.15 779.67 −90.00 52.80 128.00 91.50
150.00 302.00 423.15 761.67 −75.00 49.50 120.00 86.25
140.00 284.00 413.15 743.67 −60.00 46.20 112.00 81.00
130.00 266.00 403.15 725.67 −45.00 42.90 104.00 75.75
120.00 248.00 393.15 707.67 −30.00 39.60 96.00 70.50
110.00 230.00 383.15 689.67 −15.00 36.30 88.00 65.25
100.00 212.00 373.15 671.67 0.00 33.00 80.00 60.00
90.00 194.00 363.15 653.67 15.00 29.70 72.00 54.75
80.00 176.00 353.15 635.67 30.00 26.40 64.00 49.50
70.00 158.00 343.15 617.67 45.00 23.10 56.00 44.25
60.00 140.00 333.15 599.67 60.00 19.80 48.00 39.00
50.00 122.00 323.15 581.67 75.00 16.50 40.00 33.75
40.00 104.00 313.15 563.67 90.00 13.20 32.00 28.50
30.00 86.00 303.15 545.67 105.00 9.90 24.00 23.25
20.00 68.00 293.15 527.67 120.00 6.60 16.00 18.00
10.00 50.00 283.15 509.67 135.00 3.30 8.00 12.75
0.00 32.00 273.15 491.67 150.00 0.00 0.00 7.50
−10.00 14.00 263.15 473.67 165.00 −3.30 −8.00 2.25
−14.26 6.29 258.86 465.96 171.43 −4.71 −11.43 0.00
−17.78 0.00 255.37 459.67 176.67 −5.87 −14.22 −1.83
−20.00 −4.00 253.15 455.67 180.00 −6.60 −16.00 −3.00
−30.00 −22.00 243.15 437.67 195.00 −9.90 −24.00 −8.25
−40.00 −40.00 233.15 419.67 210.00 −13.20 −32.00 −13.50
−50.00 −58.00 223.15 401.67 225.00 −16.50 −40.00 −18.75
−60.00 −76.00 213.15 383.67 240.00 −19.80 −48.00 −24.00
−70.00 −94.00 203.15 365.67 255.00 −23.10 −56.00 −29.25
−80.00 −112.00 193.15 347.67 270.00 −26.40 −64.00 −34.50
−90.00 −130.00 183.15 329.67 285.00 −29.70 −72.00 −39.75
−100.00 −148.00 173.15 311.67 300.00 −33.00 −80.00 −45.00
−110.00 −166.00 163.15 293.67 315.00 −36.30 −88.00 −50.25
−120.00 −184.00 153.15 275.67 330.00 −39.60 −96.00 −55.50
−130.00 −202.00 143.15 257.67 345.00 −42.90 −104.00 −60.75
−140.00 −220.00 133.15 239.67 360.00 −46.20 −112.00 −66.00
−150.00 −238.00 123.15 221.67 375.00 −49.50 −120.00 −71.25
−160.00 −256.00 113.15 203.67 390.00 −52.80 −128.00 −76.50
−170.00 −274.00 103.15 185.67 405.00 −56.10 −136.00 −81.75
−180.00 −292.00 93.15 167.67 420.00 −59.40 −144.00 −87.00
−190.00 −310.00 83.15 149.67 435.00 −62.70 −152.00 −92.25
−200.00 −328.00 73.15 131.67 450.00 −66.00 −160.00 −97.50
−210.00 −346.00 63.15 113.67 465.00 −69.30 −168.00 −102.75
−220.00 −364.00 53.15 95.67 480.00 −72.60 −176.00 −108.00
−230.00 −382.00 43.15 77.67 495.00 −75.90 −184.00 −113.25
−240.00 −400.00 33.15 59.67 510.00 −79.20 −192.00 −118.50
−250.00 −418.00 23.15 41.67 525.00 −82.50 −200.00 −123.75
−260.00 −436.00 13.15 23.67 540.00 −85.80 −208.00 −129.00
−270.00 −454.00 3.15 5.67 555.00 −89.10 −216.00 −134.25
−273.15 −459.67 0.00 0.00 559.725 −90.1395 −218.52 −135.90375
Celsius Fahrenheit Kelvin Rankine Delisle Newton Réaumur Rømer

Comparison of temperature scales

Comparison of temperature scales
CommentKelvinCelsiusFahrenheitRankineDelisleNewtonRéaumurRømer
Absolute zero0.00−273.15−459.670.00559.73−90.14−218.52−135.90
Lowest recorded surface temperature on Earth[1] 184−89.2−128.6331284−29−71−39
Fahrenheit's ice/salt mixture255.37−17.780.00459.67176.67−5.87−14.22−1.83
Ice melts (at standard pressure)273.150.0032.00491.67150.000.000.007.50
Triple point of water273.160.0132.018491.688149.9850.00330.0087.50525
Average surface temperature on Earth288155951912851215
Average human body temperature*310379855895122927
Highest recorded surface temperature on Earth[2] 33158136.459663194638
Water boils (at standard pressure)373.133999.9839211.97102671.641020.0033.0080.0060.00
Titanium melts1941166830343494−23525501334883
The surface of the Sun58005500990010400−8100180044002900

* Normal human body temperature is 36.8 °C ±0.7 °C, or 98.2 °F ±1.3 °F. The commonly given value 98.6 °F is simply the exact conversion of the nineteenth-century German standard of 37 °C. Since it does not list an acceptable range, it could therefore be said to have excess (invalid) precision.[3]

Some numbers in this table have been rounded.

Graphical representation

File:Comparison of temperature scales blank.svg

845x580pxcircle 40 330 4 0 K / 0 °R (−273.15 °C)circle 504 330 4 0 °F (−17.78 °C)circle 537 270 4 150 °Dcircle 537 317 4 32 °Fcircle 537 325 4 7.5 °Røcircle 537 332 4 0 °C / 0 °Ré / 0 °Ncircle 718 245 4 212 °Fcircle 718 290 4 100 °Ccircle 718 298 4 80 °Récircle 718 306 4 60 °Røcircle 718 317 4 33 °Ncircle 718 330 4 0 °Drect 0 0 845 580 desc noneRankine (°R)
Kelvin (K)
Fahrenheit (°F)
Celsius (°C)
Réaumur (°Ré)
Rømer (°Rø)
Newton (°N)
Delisle (°D)
 Absolute zeroLowest recorded surface temperature on EarthFahrenheit's ice/water/salt mixtureMelting point of ice (at standard pressure)Average surface temperature on Earth (15 °C)Average human body temperature (37 °C)Highest recorded surface temperature on EarthBoiling point of water (at standard pressure)  

Converting units of temperature differences

Converting units of temperature differences (also referred to as temperature deltas) is not the same as converting absolute temperature values, and different formulae must be used.

To convert a delta temperature from degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius, the formula is

To convert a delta temperature from degrees Celsius to kelvin, it is 1:1

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://www.expertsure.com/2008/12/14/the-coldest-inhabited-places-on-earth/ The Coldest Inhabited Places on Earth
  2. Web site: World: Highest Temperature . November 12, 2007. Arizona State University, School of Geographical Sciences . https://web.archive.org/web/20130104143844/http://wmo.asu.edu/world-highest-temperature . January 4, 2013 . an Italian weather station in al 'Aziziyah (Libya) measured a temperature of 58 °C (136.4 °F) on September 13th 1922. "Although this record has gained general acceptance as the world's highest temperature recorded under standard conditions, the validity of the extreme has been questioned.".
  3. Web site: Temperature of a healthy human (body temperature). Lena. Wong. 1997. The Physics Factbook. Elert. Glenn. 2018-06-07.