Temperature is a fundamental physical property measured in Celsius, Fahrenheit, Kelvin, and Rankine. This overview discusses the refinement of temperature scales, their use in plasma physics, and the theoretical frameworks that define temperature, including classical thermodynamics, kinetic theory, and statistical mechanics. It also explores the role of the kinetic theory of gases in temperature measurement and the thermodynamic principles that underpin the concept of temperature.
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The Celsius scale is widely used in daily life and science, with 0°C representing the freezing point and 100°C representing the boiling point of water at sea level
The Kelvin scale is the standard unit of temperature in the physical sciences, starting at absolute zero where particle motion theoretically stops
The Fahrenheit scale, primarily used in the United States, has 32°F as the freezing point and 212°F as the boiling point of water
The Kelvin and Celsius scales were originally defined by two fixed points: absolute zero and the triple point of Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water
In May 2019, the definitions of the Kelvin and Celsius scales were revised to be based on the Boltzmann constant, enhancing their precision
In plasma physics, temperature is often expressed in electronvolts (eV) or kiloelectronvolts (keV), which are units of energy
The Boltzmann constant connects energy-based temperature measurements in plasma physics to the Kelvin scale
Classical thermodynamics describes temperature using macroscopic empirical laws
The kinetic theory of gases links temperature to the average kinetic energy of particles, providing a microscopic perspective
Statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics further elucidate temperature at the microscopic level, with the Boltzmann constant connecting macroscopic temperature measurements to microscopic energy states
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Celsius scale reference points
0°C for water's freezing point, 100°C for boiling point at sea level.
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Kelvin scale starting point
Absolute zero, where particle motion theoretically stops, 0 K.
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Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion formula
(°F - 32) x 5/9 = °C.
