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Concept
Temperature
Summary
Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer.
Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied on various reference points and thermometric substances for definition. The most common scales are the Celsius scale with the unit symbol °C (formerly called centigrade), the Fahrenheit scale (°F), and the Kelvin scale (K), the latter being used predominantly for scientific purposes. The kelvin is one of the seven base units in the International System of Units (SI).
Absolute zero, i.e., zero kelvin or −273.15 °C, is the lowest point in the thermodynamic temperature scale. Experimentally, it can be approached very closely but not actually reached, as recognized in the third law of thermodynamics. It would be impossible to extract energy as heat from a body at that temperature.
Temperature is important in all fields of natural science, including physics, chemistry, Earth science, astronomy, medicine, biology, ecology, material science, metallurgy, mechanical engineering and geography as well as most aspects of daily life.
Many physical processes are related to temperature; some of them are given below:
the physical properties of materials including the phase (solid, liquid, gaseous or plasma), density, solubility, vapor pressure, electrical conductivity, hardness, wear resistance, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, strength
the rate and extent to which chemical reactions occur
the amount and properties of thermal radiation emitted from the surface of an object
air temperature affects all living organisms
the speed of sound, which in a gas is proportional to the square root of the absolute temperature
Scale of temperature
Temperature scales need two values for definition: the point chosen as zero degrees and the magnitudes of the incremental unit of temperature.
The Celsius scale (°C) is used for common temperature measurements in most of the world.
Official source
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