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Temperature Units?

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Why is temperature measured in degrees just like rotation(360 degree circle) is measured in degrees. Do the two have any relationship?

no, not at all :)

consider degrees as a representation of percentage only :)

In cases like this toddle along to http://www.dictionary.com, useful website (especially for essays).

 

degree

 

One of a series of steps in a process, course, or progression; a stage: proceeded to the next degree of difficulty.

A step in a direct hereditary line of descent or ascent: First cousins are two degrees from their common ancestor.

Relative social or official rank, dignity, or position.

Relative intensity or amount, as of a quality or attribute: a high degree of accuracy.

The extent or measure of a state of being, an action, or a relation: modernized their facilities to a large degree.

A unit division of a temperature scale.

Mathematics. A planar unit of angular measure equal in magnitude to 1/360 of a complete revolution.

A unit of latitude or longitude, equal to 1/360 of a great circle.

Mathematics.

The greatest sum of the exponents of the variables in a term of a polynomial or polynomial equation.

The exponent of the derivative of highest order in a differential equation in standard form.

 

An academic title given by a college or university to a student who has completed a course of study: received the Bachelor of Arts degree at commencement.

A similar title conferred as an honorary distinction.

Law. A division or classification of a specific crime according to its seriousness: murder in the second degree.

A classification of the severity of an injury, especially a burn: a third-degree burn.

Grammar. One of the forms used in the comparison of adjectives and adverbs. For example, tall is the positive degree, taller the comparative degree, and tallest the superlative degree of the adjective tall.

Music.

One of the seven notes of a diatonic scale.

A space or line of the staff.

Kelvin temperatures are not degrees.

 

it's 100 Kelvin, not 100 degrees Kelvin.

 

degrees Kelvin is not correct, despite its common usage.

despite the ultimate superiority of the kelvin scale, everybody gets it wrong and nobody wants to use it

 

I, for one, prefer kelvin, but like was said earlier (I think), a degree is just a unit of measurement

Given the temperature range in which most life exists, the use of Kelvin would be unwieldy (imagine the weather forcast in Kelvin, or cooking instructions). I suppose you could always cluster the scale into centaKelvin (cK) or something, to make it appicable to daily life. But then we'd have to work to 2 decimal places to make it useful. Bit of a pain really.

Whats wrong with having the celsius and kelvin scale operating in tandem? Ive never had any problems it, converting one to the other is hardly a perplexing task!

273 is a big number to be adding and subtracting

 

maybe if people today wouldn't get so mind boggled at numbers over 10, they'd see that 500 K really isn't that much, it's not even up to pizza cooking temp yet

Celcius is more appropriate for every day common use in life, but Kelvin (or Rankine or Reamur) is still the best units for science.

but kelvin is easier to use

at least for me

:-(

  • 2 weeks later...

FAFALONE Degrees Kelvin or Kelvin can be used neither is wrong you will be marked for either in an examination. Degrees is latin/Greek (think quite sure) it just means basicly progression so the progression can be positive or negative Scientificly: variables in a term of a polynomial or polynomial equation(s). So i would never say Degree's Kelvin is wrong,

yeah, but if you tried to write something like 4 degrees kevin in a scientific paper and then submit it, you would be laughed at and the paper would not be accepted until you fixed your mistake. I think his point was that the SI unit Kelvin prescribes that the word "degree" not be used with it.

Not at all, try looking at the uk university office for official scientific acceptence (usually located at Oxford University) you will see multiple examples of Degree's Kelvin used, mainly because degree's is just a progression table, and all temperatures progress.

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/geology/8348/8348geot.html is an example, publishes Geological Discoveies (houses Scientific acceptance) http://www.le.ac.uk/physics/research/eos/group/dlj.html (another House of S.A.) www-solar.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/~robert/statement.html another very large chemisry University and http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/atmosphere.html

and Cambridge (noted for excellance in scientific research) Im not saying that in America your standards are wrong just in the Uk you would NOT be laughed at, the sheet would be marked correctly.

ah, thanks for the info, wolfson. Perhaps this will teach me not to make broad, sweeping statements (prolly not though :D)

 

Anyways, thanks again.

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