# Chem Folk: 1 C = 1 K? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746 "2005-07-01T19:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/1 "2005-07-01T19:59:00Z")
Chem folk: Can one say 1 C = 1 K? And, 1 F = 1 R??? ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/2 "2005-07-01T20:01:38Z")
I think this is what you’re asking: Yes, 1 degree Celsius is equal to 1 Kelvin. 273 K is 0 degrees Celsius. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/3 "2005-07-01T20:16:22Z")
And one degree on the Fahrenheit scale equals one degree on the Rankin scale. It’s just that the offsets are different. And, of course one degree on the Fahrenheit does _not_ equal one degree on the Celsius scale (and all permutations thereof) _Five_ degrees on the Celsius scale equals _Nine_ degrees on the Fahrenheit scale (since 100 degrees separate melting from boiling of water on the former and 180 degrees on the latter). ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/4 "2005-07-02T00:12:09Z")
If you’re talking about changes in temperature, then this works. If x is 5 degrees C hotter than y, then it is also 5 K hotter than y. However, if the temperature of x is 30 degrees C, it is certainly not 30 K. (BTW, the unit is called “Kelvin” so “degrees Kelvin” or “degrees K” is always wrong.) ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/5 "2005-07-02T01:26:17Z")
And here’s one of the better temperature converters on the 'Net: [www.1728.com/convtmp2.htm](http://www.1728.com/convtmp2.htm) (In my humble opinion of course). ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/6 "2005-07-02T21:38:49Z")
And of course -40C is the same as -40F. Most people don’t get to see this in person. I have, and if there’s any wind at all it ain’t pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/7 "2005-07-02T23:42:59Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > And of course -40C is the same as -40F. Most people don’t get to see this in person. I have, and if there’s any wind at all it ain’t pretty. I’ve seen and felt it in person. I get to feel this in person about every year, it seems. And just to stir the pot even further, are there scales in current use that are divided differently from both Fahrenheit/Rankine and Celsius/Kelvin? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/8 "2005-07-03T17:09:46Z")
For completeness sake, it should also be mentioned that “1 Kelvin” is defined as “1/273.16 of the temperature of the triple point of water.” In fact, the TP of water (273.16 K) is the only _defined_ temperature (other than 0 K). ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/9 "2005-07-03T22:43:31Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > For completeness sake, it should also be mentioned that “1 Kelvin” is defined as “1/273.16 of the temperature of the triple point of water.” > > In fact, the TP of water (273.16 K) is the only _defined_ temperature (other than 0 K). That is correct. Which means that it’s no longer true by definition that the ice point and steam point of water (at standard atmospheric pressure) are separated by 100[deg]C. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/10 "2005-07-04T02:07:03Z")
\>“1/273.16 of the temperature of the triple point of water” Of the _thermodynamic_ temperature of water. And it has to have the isotopic composition of seawater - IIRC water from melted polar snow will throw you off by 20 uK or so. Or was it mK? No, it couldn’t be. Could it? Nah. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-folk-1-c-1-k/310746/11 "2005-07-04T08:17:07Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And just to stir the pot even further, are there scales in current use that are divided differently from both Fahrenheit/Rankine and Celsius/Kelvin? Reamur: freezing = 0, boiling = 80. No idea if anyone does actually use the durn thing these days.