Temperature Converter — How to Convert Between Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin
Temperature is one of the most commonly encountered physical quantities in daily life. Most of the world uses degrees Celsius, the United States uses Fahrenheit, and science uses Kelvin. The same temperature looks completely different in each scale: 100 °C = 212 °F = 373.15 K. This free online temperature converter instantly translates between all five scales — no manual formulas needed.
How to Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and Back
The formula from Celsius to Fahrenheit is: °F = °C × 9/5 + 32. Key reference points: 0 °C = 32 °F (freezing), 20 °C = 68 °F (room temperature), 37 °C = 98.6 °F (body temperature), 100 °C = 212 °F (boiling). Reverse formula: °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9. One useful fact worth remembering: at −40 degrees both scales show the same number — −40 °C = −40 °F. For a quick mental estimate, double the Celsius value and add 30 to get an approximate Fahrenheit result within ~2 °F.
How to Convert Celsius and Fahrenheit to Kelvin
Converting Celsius to Kelvin is the simplest of all: K = °C + 273.15. So water boils at 373.15 K, room temperature is ~293 K, and absolute zero is 0 K = −273.15 °C. To convert Fahrenheit to Kelvin: K = (°F + 459.67) × 5/9. Kelvin can never be negative — it starts at absolute zero. The size of one kelvin equals one degree Celsius, so temperature differences are the same in both scales.
Practical Reference Points — Body, Oven and Weather
A few reference points make everyday conversions much easier. Normal body temperature: 37 °C = 98.6 °F. Fever threshold: 38 °C = 100.4 °F. Room temperature: 20 °C = 68 °F. Typical baking oven: 180 °C = 356 °F. If a US weather forecast says "90 °F" — that is 32 °C, a hot summer day. Freezing: 32 °F = 0 °C. When reading American recipes, always check whether oven temperatures are in °F — they usually are.
Rankine and Réaumur — Rare but Real Scales
Rankine (°Ra) is an absolute thermodynamic scale built on Fahrenheit: 0 °Ra = absolute zero, and the degree size matches Fahrenheit. Used in American engineering applications such as aerospace and heat engine calculations. Water boils at 671.67 °Ra. Réaumur (°Ré) is an 18th-century scale where water freezes at 0 °Ré and boils at 80 °Ré — formula: °Ré = °C × 0.8. Now obsolete but occasionally found in old European cookbooks and historical scientific texts. Use the converter above to translate any of these scales instantly.