Temperature Converter
Convert between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin instantly and accurately.
Temperature Converter
Enter a value and select units to convert.
Converted Value
0°C = 32°FThe Exact Temperature Conversion Formulas This Tool Uses
Converting Celsius to Fahrenheit uses the formula: multiply the Celsius value by 9 divided by 5, then add 32. Converting Fahrenheit to Celsius reverses this process: subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit value, then multiply by 5 divided by 9. Converting Celsius to Kelvin simply adds 273.15 to the Celsius value, since the Kelvin scale shares the same increment size as Celsius but starts at absolute zero rather than the freezing point of water.
How to Use This Temperature Converter
Enter your starting temperature value into the input field. Select which scale that value is currently in, choosing between Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin. Then select the scale you want to convert to. The converted temperature appears instantly, calculated using the exact standardized formula for whichever specific conversion direction you have selected.
| Convert | Formula |
|---|---|
| Celsius to Fahrenheit | (°C × 9/5) + 32 |
| Fahrenheit to Celsius | (°F − 32) × 5/9 |
| Celsius to Kelvin | °C + 273.15 |
| Kelvin to Celsius | K − 273.15 |
| Fahrenheit to Kelvin | (°F − 32) × 5/9 + 273.15 |
| Kelvin to Fahrenheit | (K − 273.15) × 9/5 + 32 |
Common Temperature Reference Points Worth Knowing
Certain reference temperatures help build intuition for how the different scales relate to each other in practice. Water freezes at exactly 0 degrees Celsius, which equals 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 273.15 Kelvin. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius, equal to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Normal human body temperature sits at approximately 37 degrees Celsius, equal to about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, a figure widely recognized across most of the world regardless of which temperature scale is locally standard.
Why the United States Still Uses Fahrenheit
The United States remains one of the few countries that has not fully adopted the Celsius scale for everyday use, largely due to historical adoption patterns that predate the broader international shift toward the metric system. This means anyone traveling to or communicating with the US regularly encounters Fahrenheit temperatures for weather forecasts, oven settings, and body temperature readings, making a reliable converter genuinely useful for cross-border communication and travel planning.
Pro Tip: Water freezes at 0°C (32°F) and boils at 100°C (212°F). Normal body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F). These reference points help quickly estimate conversions without a calculator.
Understanding the Kelvin Scale and Its Scientific Importance
Unlike Celsius and Fahrenheit, which are based on the freezing and boiling points of water, the Kelvin scale is based on absolute zero, the theoretical point at which all molecular motion stops entirely. This makes Kelvin the standard temperature scale in scientific contexts, particularly physics and chemistry, where calculations involving gas laws, thermodynamics, and other physical processes require an absolute temperature scale rather than one anchored to water's properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply the Celsius value by 9 divided by 5, then add 32 to the result, which produces the exact equivalent temperature on the Fahrenheit scale.
0 Kelvin represents absolute zero, the theoretical coldest possible temperature where all molecular motion stops entirely, equal to negative 273.15 degrees Celsius.
The US adopted Fahrenheit historically before the international shift toward the metric system and has largely retained it for everyday use, unlike most other countries worldwide.
Yes, Kelvin shares identical increment sizes with Celsius, meaning a one-degree change is equal in both scales, but Kelvin starts counting from absolute zero rather than water's freezing point.
Normal human body temperature is approximately 37 degrees Celsius, which converts to roughly 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit using the standard conversion formula.