# Conversion Error
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [December 2, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958 "2002-12-02T14:49:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/1 "2002-12-02T14:49:51Z")
FTR, in this classic article [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_127.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_127.html) Cecil _cough_ I mean Cecil’s editors screwed up the conversion between Celsius and Kelvin.
I believe the article should read either 276 degrees Kelvin or -270 Celsius.
I’m suspect that the second is correct.
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/2 "2002-12-02T15:01:51Z")
Are you talking about this part?
> [@](#):
>
> … to heat thing up to 3 degrees Kelvin–that is, the equivalent of 3 degrees Celsius (5 degrees F) above absolute zero.
It’s not outright wrong. Three degrees Kelvin is indeed 3 degrees above absolute zero. It’s a bit confusing to use the unit “Celsius” when referring to a temperature difference, but I can’t see any way around it if you want to distinguish it between F and C/K.
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### Author:  [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/3 "2002-12-02T15:23:10Z")
I believe that it should read “3 Celsius degrees (5 F degrees)”, where you are talking about the size of the degrees and not absolute temperature–which is clearly what was intended.
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### Author:  [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/4 "2002-12-02T18:14:25Z")
I disagree that the column is wrong, or even confusing. “…the equivalent of 3 degrees Celsius… above absolute zero.” Looks OK to me. Why is it confusing to use the unit “Celsius” when referring to a temperature difference? If it’s 20 degrees Celsius inside my home, and 5 degrees Celsius outside, just how _would_ I express the difference, if not “15 degrees Celsius”?
**RM Mentock** : You sure? I’ve never heard of a differentiation in unit usage between an absolute measurement and differences. I went looking, and the only usage note reference I can find which explicitly calls out a temperature _difference_ (as opposed to absolute measurement) is [here](http://www.electro-optical.com/unitconv/tempref/its90.html): “The unit of Celsius temperature is the degree Celsius, symbol ºC, which is by definition equal in magnitude to the kelvin. A **difference** of temperature may be expressed in kelvin or **degrees Celsius**. [bolding mine]”
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### Author:  [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/5 "2002-12-04T04:38:44Z")
I think **scr4** has it right. I missed the “above absolute zero”.
If I’d read more carefully I’d have to agree with **zut** that it is not even confusing.
I’d carelessly read that 3C == 3K, which, of course, the article did **not** say.
Sorry for the distraction.
Thanks all,
Tinker
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/6 "2002-12-04T04:56:57Z")
…and hang your head in shame for even THINKING that Cecil could commit an error.
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### Author:  [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/7 "2002-12-04T13:28:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by zut \*
> **RM Mentock: You sure? I’ve never heard of a differentiation in unit usage between an absolute measurement and differences. I went looking, and the only usage note reference I can find**
Never sure, but [Physics at Oklahome State](http://physics.okstate.edu/kaeding/physics1014/hw07.html) seems to thinks so: “Notice that we write temperature difference in terms of Celcius degrees (C°) instead of degrees Celcius (°C)”. Hmm, not sure if there are other usage notes anywhere…
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### Author:  [@grabser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grabser)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2002, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/8 "2002-12-04T15:39:43Z")
Cecil is not totally wrong, but one thing does come to mind…
The unit KELVIN is a stand-alone unit of temperature measurement. Meaning, that the Kelvin value does not require a “degrees” or “°” pre-fix. We use the term Kelvin as 273 Kelvin or 11 Kelvin (cryogenic vacuum pump second stage temperature).
Otherwise, Cecil, keep up the good word !!
Scott
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### Author:  [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/9 "2002-12-04T19:44:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \*
> \*\*…and hang your head in shame for even THINKING that Cecil could commit an error. \*\*
Well, I did blame the editors … :o
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### Author:  [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/10 "2002-12-04T20:50:21Z")
Degrees Kelvin and degrees Celcius are the same in magintude only.
-273 C = 0 K
The same holds true for American Standard measurements, Rankine and Fahrenheit degrees are equal in magnitude.
-(five hundred and change, I don’t remember)F = 0 R
Cecil got nothing wrong here, as far as I can tell.
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### Author:  [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conversion-error/139958/11 "2002-12-04T20:51:36Z")
Uh, please ignore the above post.
It’s pretty useless.
I don’t know what I was thinking.