Temperature
Temperature What is temperature? What is it an actual measurement of? Temperature – measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance Kinetic Energy – energy that a substance or body possesses due to motion.
Temperature Scales in Science Two major temperature scales are used in the scientific community: 1) Celsius (aka Centigrade) Celsius scale is based upon the melting point (MP) and boiling point (BP) of water. 100 graduations between MP and BP 0°C = MP H2O & 100°C = BP of H2O
Temperature Scales in Science 2) Kelvin Kelvin scale is based upon the theoretical measure of 0 K Notice, the Kelvin scale does NOT use “degrees”. 0 K is defined as Absolute Zero. Absolute Zero: the temperature at which all motion ceases to exist. Impossible to measure Absolute Zero.
Fahrenheit The Fahrenheit temperature scale is NOT used in science. Fahrenheit scale is based on the average human body temperature. 98.6 °F Not used because it is based on a biological value that is not a constant.