Temperature Scales

Key Questions

  • Answer:

    Conversion is quite trivial between the Kelvin scale and the Celsius scale.....

    Explanation:

    On the Kelvin scale, #"absolute zero = 0 K"#...whereas on the Celsius scale, #"absolute zero" = -273.15# #""^@C#. Conversion between the Celsius scale and Fahrenheit scale is a bit more problematic..and I acknowledge that you may be a septic, and so such conversions are necessary.

    For #"Fahrenheit to Celsius"#, subtract #32^@#, then multiply by #5/9#.

    For #"Celsius to Fahrenheit"#, multiply by #9/5#, THEN ADD #32^@#.

    It may be an idea to try to use the Celsius scale exclusively... Most USaian chemists I know would always quote a reaction temperature in Christian units even tho they might use the Fahrenheit scale for how hot/cold it was outside...

  • Answer:

    Well, what temperature scale is appropriate....?

    Explanation:

    Several experimental gas laws established the dependence between a gaseous volume and temperature. And from the development of ideas of atoms and molecules, the experimental gas laws enabled chemists and physicists to form a pretty shrewd idea about the nature of gaseous particles...and of course from these ideas the molecular nature of matter, especially with regard to gases, were developed.

    Old #"Charles' Law"# established the proportionality of volume and temperature....i.e. #VpropT#...and this law proposed that there was a limit with regard to temperature...what today we would call #"absolute zero..."#. And thus at absolute zero, #-273.15# #""^@C# or #0*K# all molecular motion ceases (a simplification!), and this temperature represents the LIMIT of temperature...

    Today #-273.15# #""^@C-=0*K#...the #K# stands for #"Kelvin Temperature"#, after William Thomson, later the Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)…

    Most of the Gas Laws...#"Charles' Law"#, the #"Ideal Gas Law"# specify the use of the Kelvin scale...

    As a curiosity much of the gas laws owe to railway development....i.e. steam driven locomotives directly exploit gaseous pressure to provide motion...

Questions