Unit of Temperature
Temperature, like other measurements, tells us how hot or cold something is compared to a standard. We usually measure temperature using a thermometer marked in different scales, like Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Unit of Temperature
The SI unit of temperature, according to the International System of Units, is Kelvin, represented by the symbol K. Kelvin is commonly used in science and engineering. However, Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are more widely used in everyday life in most parts of the world.
What is Celsius?
The Celsius scale, developed by Swedish scientist Anders Celsius in the 18th century, is the most commonly used temperature scale worldwide today. Celsius proposed a scale where 0 degrees represents the freezing point of water and 100 degrees represents the boiling point of water.
This simplicity, based on the properties of water, made it widely accepted and important for both scientific and everyday temperature measurements. The Celsius scale is also referred to as the centigrade scale.
What is Fahrenheit?
The Fahrenheit temperature scale was introduced by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, a Polish-German physicist and engineer. In 1724, Fahrenheit invented the mercury-in-glass thermometer, which featured a standardized temperature scale and improved accuracy compared to earlier models.
Fahrenheit established zero degrees on his scale using a precise mixture of ice and salt. Additionally, he defined 100 degrees on the scale as the average human body temperature. These unique reference points helped establish the Fahrenheit scale as a widely used temperature measurement system.
What is Kelvin?
The Kelvin scale, often referred to as the absolute temperature scale, was conceptualized by William Thomson, also known as Lord Kelvin. He proposed the idea of a temperature scale based on absolute zero, a point at which molecular motion ceases entirely.
Working alongside physicists like James Joule, Lord Kelvin refined the Kelvin temperature scale. This scale has become indispensable in scientific research and engineering because it offers a universal reference point for temperature measurement, unaffected by the properties of any particular material.