Orders of magnitude (temperature)

Last updated
Temperature in degC compared to the thermodynamic scale in electron volts, which are also used as a unit of temperature Temperature in eV.svg
Temperature in °C compared to the thermodynamic scale in electron volts, which are also used as a unit of temperature

List of orders of magnitude for temperature


FactorMultipleItem
10−9
-nK
Negative absolute temperature [a] achieved in 2013 by using 39K bosonic atoms. [1] [3]
10−12
-100pK−750pK in rhodium. [4]
00 K
10−30
qK
10−18
aK
10−15
fK
10−12
10s-100s pK
10−9
10 nK
10−6
μK
10−3
1-100s mK
1
1 K
10110 K
102100 K

See detailed list below

103
0.1-1 kK
10410-100s kK
106
0.1-100s MK
109
1-100s GK
1012
0.1-100s TK
1015
0.1-1 PK
1018
EK
1021
ZK
1024
1 YK
1027
1 RK
  • Everything 10−35 seconds after the Big Bang
1030
1 QK
1032
100 QK
1033
1000 QK
10290
10260 QK

Detailed list for 100 K to 1000 K

Most ordinary human activity takes place at temperatures of this order of magnitude. Circumstances where water naturally occurs in liquid form are shown in light grey.

Contents

Kelvin Degrees
Celsius
Degrees
Fahrenheit
Condition
100 K−173.15 °C−279.67 °F
133 K−140 °C−220  °F
  • Mean on Saturn [19]
133 K to 163 K−140 to −110 °C−220 to −160 °F
163 K−110 °C−166  °F
  • Mean on Jupiter [19]
165 K−108 °C−163 °F
  • Glass point of supercooled water (Debatable) [21]
175.4 K−97.8 °C−144 °F
  • Coldest luminance temperature recorded on Earth (measured remotely by satellite), in Antarctica [22]
183.7 K−89.5 °C−129.1 °F
183.9 K−89.2 °C−128.6 °F
192 K−81 °C−114 °F
193 to 203 K−80 to −70 °C−112 to −94 °F
194.6 K−78.5 °C−109.3 °F
203.55 K−69.6 °C−93.3 °FColdest officially recorded air temperature in the Northern Hemisphere at Klinck AWS, Greenland (Denmark) on 1991-12-22 [24]
205.5 K−67.7 °C−89.9 °FColdest officially recorded air temperature on the Eurasian continent at Oymyakon, USSR on 6 February 1933 [25] [ full citation needed ]
210 K−63 °C−80 °F
214.9 K–58.3 °C–72.9 °F
223.15 K−50 °C−58 °F
224.8 K−48.4 °C−55.0 °F
  • Coldest temperature that water can remain a liquid (see Supercooling)
225 K−48 °C−55 °F
233.15 K−40 °C−40 °F
234.3 K−38.83 °C−37.89 °F
240.4 K−32.8 °C−27.0 °F
  • Coldest air temperature recorded in South America, at Sarmiento, Argentina on 1907-06-01 [30]
246 K−27 °C−17 °F
249 K–24 °C–11 °F
249.3 K–23.9 °C–11.0 °F
  • Coldest air temperature recorded in Africa, at Ifrane, Morocco on 11 February 1935 [30]
250 K–23 °C–9 °F
255.37 K–1779 °C0 °F
255 K–18 °C0 °F
256 K–17 °C1 °F
256 K–17 °C2 °F
257 K–16 °C3 °F
262 K−11 °C12 °F
263.15 K–10 °C14 °F
265 K–8 °C18 °F
265.8 K–7.2 °C19 °F
267 K–6 °C21 °F
271.15 K−2 °C28.4 °F
273.14 K-0.01 °C31.98 °F
  • Maximum temperature of an object causing frostbite
273.15 K0.00 °C 32.00 °F
  • Freezing/melting point of fresh water (at 1 atm pressure)
273.16 K0.01 °C32.02 °F
276 K3 °C37 °F
277 K3.85 °C39 °F
277.13 K3.98 °C39.16 °F
279.8 K6.67 °C44 °F
  • Threshold of skin numbness if skin reaches this temperature
283.2 K10 °C50 °F
286.9 K12.7 °C54.9 °F
287.6 K14.44 °C58 °F
288 K15 °C59 °F
  • Mean on Earth
291.6 K18.4 °C65.1 °F
  • Hottest temperature in Antarctica, recorded on 2020 February 6 at the Esperanza Base [39]
294 K21 °C70 °F
296 K23 °C73 °F
297 K24 °C75 °F
298 K25 °C77 °F
300 K27 °C81 °F
  • Thermoneutral temperature of an unclothed human at rest [41] [42]
  • Estimated melting/freezing point of francium
302.9 K29.8 °C85.6 °F
303.15 K30 °C86 °F
  • The rate of plant growth is typically no greater above this temperature than at this temperature. (see Growing degree-day)
304 K31 °C88 °F
  • Melting/freezing point of butter, critical point for carbon dioxide
307 K34 °C93 °F
307.6 K34.4 °C93.9 °F
308 K35 °C95 °F
309.5 K36.4 °C97.5 °F
311.03 K37.87 °C100.2 °F
  • Beginnings of a fever for humans
311.8 K38.6 °C101.5 °F
313.15 K40 °C104 °F
315 K42 °C108 °F
  • Usually fatal human fever
317.6 K44.44 °C112 °F
319.7 K46.5 °C115.7 °F
321.45 K48.3 °C119 °FWorld's hottest air temperature recorded while raining, at Imperial, California, USA on July 24, 2018 [47]
322.1 K48.9 °C120.0 °F
  • Hottest air temperature recorded in South America, at Rivadavia, Argentina on 1905-12-11 [30]
  • Maximum safe temperature for hot water according to numeric U.S. plumbing codes [48]
  • Water will cause a second-degree burn after 8 minutes and a third-degree burn after 10 minutes [48]
323.14 K49.99 °C121.99 °F
  • Half-way point between freezing and boiling
323.9 K50.7 °C123.3 °F
329.87 K56.7 °C134.1 °F
333.15 K60 °C140 °F
  • Water will cause a second-degree burn in 3 seconds and a third-degree burn in 5 seconds [48]
  • Average temperature of a hair dryer
336 K63 °C145.4 °F
342 K69 °C157 °F
343.15 K70 °C158 °F
350 K77 °C170 °F
351.52 K78.37 °C173.07 °F
353.15 K80 °C176 °F
  • Average temperature of a sauna
355 K82 °C180 °F
355.6 K82.4 °C180.3 °F
366 K93 °C200 °F
367 K94 °C201 °F
371 K98 °C209 °F
  • Freezing/melting point of sodium
373.13 K99.98 °C211.97 °F
  • Boiling point of water at 1 atm pressure (see Celsius)
380 K107 °C225 °F
388 K115 °C239 °F
  • Melting/freezing point of sulfur
400 K127 °C260 °F
433.15 K160 °C320 °F
[ full citation needed ]}}
450 K177 °C350 °F
453.15 K180 °C356 °F
483 K210 °C410 °F
491 K218 °C425 °F
519 K246 °C475 °F
522 K249 °C480 °F
525 K252 °C485 °F
538 K265 °C510 °F
  • Smoke point of refined safflower oil
574.5875 K301.4375 °C574.5875 °F
600.65 K327.5 °C621.5 °F
  • Melting/freezing point of lead
647 K374 °C705 °F
  • Critical point of superheated water
693 K419 °C787 °F
  • Melting/freezing point of zinc
723.15 K450 °C842 °F
738 K465 °C870 °F
749 K476 °C889 °F
773.15 K500 °C932 °F
  • Oven on self-cleaning mode
798 K525 °C977 °F
  • Draper point (the point at which nearly all objects start to glow dim red) [56]
858 K585 °C1085 °FKindling point of hydrogen [57]
933.47 K660.32 °C1220.58 °F
1000 K726.85 °C1340.33 °F

SI multiples

SI multiples of kelvin (K)
SubmultiplesMultiples
ValueSI symbolNameValueSI symbolName
10−1 KdKdecikelvin101 KdaKdecakelvin
10−2 KcKcentikelvin102 KhKhectokelvin
10−3 KmKmillikelvin103 KkKkilokelvin
10−6 KμKmicrokelvin106 KMKmegakelvin
10−9 KnKnanokelvin109 KGKgigakelvin
10−12 KpKpicokelvin1012 KTKterakelvin
10−15 KfKfemtokelvin1015 KPKpetakelvin
10−18 KaKattokelvin1018 KEKexakelvin
10−21 KzKzeptokelvin1021 KZKzettakelvin
10−24 KyKyoctokelvin1024 KYKyottakelvin
10−27 KrKrontokelvin1027 KRKronnakelvin
10−30 KqKquectokelvin1030 KQKquettakelvin

References

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Notes

  1. Such a temperature, while negative in value in the scalar, exhibits changes in physics in the quantum range which are typical of energetic states which are hotter than every positive temperature [1] - even infinite temperature [2]
  2. Theoretical lower temperature limit not realizable in practice because of the third law of thermodynamics [5] [6]