Kelvin to Celsius Converter
To convert kelvin to degrees Celsius, subtract 273.15. Room temperature of 300 K is 26.85 °C.
How to Convert Kelvin to Celsius
To convert kelvin to degrees Celsius, subtract 273.15.
For example: 298.15 K − 273.15 = 25 °C.
Where This Comes Up
Scientific papers, color temperatures of light bulbs and astronomical data are all in kelvin. Converting to Celsius is what makes those numbers comparable to a thermometer reading.
A 310 K body temperature is 36.85 °C, essentially the normal 37 °C.
What People Get Wrong
The "color temperature" of a lamp, like 2700 K, describes the color of the light, not how hot the lamp is. Converting it to Celsius gives a meaningless number.
Kelvin to Celsius Conversion Table
| Kelvin (K) | Degrees Celsius (°C) |
|---|---|
| 0 | -273.15 |
| 50 | -223.15 |
| 100 | -173.15 |
| 150 | -123.15 |
| 200 | -73.15 |
| 250 | -23.15 |
| 273.15 | 0 |
| 280 | 6.85 |
| 290 | 16.85 |
| 300 | 26.85 |
| 310 | 36.85 |
| 350 | 76.85 |
| 373.15 | 100 |
| 400 | 126.85 |
| 500 | 226.85 |
| 1,000 | 726.85 |
About These Units
The kelvin
The kelvin is the SI base unit of temperature and starts at absolute zero, the point where thermal motion stops. A change of 1 kelvin is exactly the same size as a change of 1 degree Celsius, and kelvin is written without a degree sign.
The degree Celsius
The Celsius scale puts the freezing point of water at 0 degrees and its boiling point at 100 degrees at sea level. It is the everyday temperature scale in nearly every country except the United States.
Definitions follow The SI Brochure, BIPM. See how we calculate for the exact values and rounding rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 0 K in Celsius?
0 K is -273.15 °C, absolute zero.
What is 273.15 K in Celsius?
Exactly 0 °C, the freezing point of water at standard pressure.
Why does kelvin have no degree symbol?
Because it is an absolute scale, not a scale of degrees above an arbitrary zero. The SI writes it as a plain unit: 300 K.
Is kelvin used outside science?
Mainly for the color temperature of light bulbs and camera white balance. Nobody reports the weather in kelvin.