‘An object has & temperature of 50″F. What is its temper- ature in degrees Celsius and in kelvins?’
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To convert a temperature of 50°F to degrees Celsius (°C) and kelvins (K), we use the following formulas:
Step 1: Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius°C=59(°F−32)°C = \frac{5}{9} (°F – 32)°C=95(°F−32)°C=59(50−32)=59×18=10°C°C = \frac{5}{9} (50 – 32) = \frac{5}{9} \times 18 = 10°C°C=95(50−32)=95×18=10°C
Step 2: Convert Celsius to KelvinK=°C+273.15K = °C + 273.15K=°C+273.15K=10+273.15=283.15 KK = 10 + 273.15 = 283.15 \, KK=10+273.15=283.15K
Final Answer:
- Temperature in Celsius = 10°C
- Temperature in Kelvin = 283.15 K
Explanation
Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses how hot or cold an object is. It can be measured using different scales, most commonly Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin. Each of these scales has a different zero point and increment size. Fahrenheit is widely used in the United States, Celsius is used globally for most scientific and everyday measurements, and Kelvin is the standard unit for temperature in the scientific community because it is based on absolute zero.
In this problem, the object’s temperature is given as 50°F. To convert this to Celsius, we subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit value and multiply the result by five-ninths. This formula accounts for the difference in both the starting points and the size of each degree between the two scales. After conversion, we find the temperature to be 10°C.
To find the Kelvin value, we add 273.15 to the Celsius value. The Kelvin scale starts at absolute zero, which is the theoretical point where all molecular motion stops. It does not use the term “degrees” before the value; instead, temperatures are simply stated in kelvins. Since the Celsius and Kelvin scales have the same unit size, only an offset is needed for conversion.
This process of temperature conversion is essential in science and engineering, where precise and consistent temperature measurements are required. Understanding how to shift between these units is important in laboratory work, weather prediction, and various industrial applications.
