Sunday, November 03, 2024

[rcpodzpi] Kelvin vs. Celsius

0 K = -273.15 C
10^-12 K = -273.149999999999 C
10^-11 K = -273.14999999999 C
10^-10 K = -273.1499999999 C
10^-9 K = -273.149999999 C
10^-8 K = -273.14999999 C
10^-7 K = -273.1499999 C
10^-6 K = -273.149999 C
10^-5 K = -273.14999 C
10^-4 K = -273.1499 C
10^-3 K = -273.149 C
10^-2 K = -273.14 C
10^-1 K = -273.05 C
10^0 K = -272.15 C
10^1 K = -263.15 C
10^2 K = -173.15 C
10^3 K = 726.85 C
10^4 K = 9726.85 C
10^5 K = 99726.85 C
10^6 K = 999726.85 C
10^7 K = 9999726.85 C
10^8 K = 99999726.85 C
10^9 K = 999999726.85 C
10^10 K = 9999999726.85 C
10^11 K = 99999999726.85 C
10^12 K = 999999999726.85 C

Celsius values are not weird (not containing lots of nines) only between about 0.01 K and 1000 K, roughly the temperatures relevant to the human experience.  but if you want a temperature scale actually designed for human experience, Fahrenheit is generally better.

science often works with extremely low or extremely high temperatures.  as illustrated above especially for low temperatures, Kelvin is better than Celsius.  for high temperatures, at what threshold is it acceptable to say that the temperature in Kelvin is the same as temperature in Celsius?

use Kelvin for science, Fahrenheit for humans.  Celsius is useful only for discussing liquid or potentially liquid water.

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