Temperature Converter
With temperature 72, temperature converter comes to 22.22 — converted value. It is reached in 4 steps, the last of which is 22.222222 * 1 + 72 * 0 + 295.37222 * 0, and each one is printed on the page with its numbers filled in. The formula is the one published by NIST, not an approximation fitted to it.
Converts between Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin in any direction, with the reference points to sanity-check it.
Formula and sources checked · How we check
Temperature 72, From Fahrenheit, To Celsius
22.22
Converted value for the example below. Editing a field recomputes the calculator below; this figure holds the answer the page was loaded with.
It is written into the HTML rather than drawn by a script, so a search engine reading this page without running JavaScript still finds an answer.
- In Celsius
72 * 0 + (72 - 32) * 5 / 9 * 1 + (72 - 273.15) * 022.222 °C- In Fahrenheit
22.222222 * 9 / 5 + 3272 °F- In Kelvin
22.222222 + 273.15295.372 K- Converted value
22.222222 * 1 + 72 * 0 + 295.37222 * 022.222
Ask about this in the chatFahrenheit to Celsius Chart
Worked example
72°F is 22.22°C and 295.37 K. The scales cross at −40, where both read the same, and the useful mental shortcut is that 16°C is 61°F, 28°C is 82°F — the digits swap.
How to work it out yourself
- 1.Pick what you are converting from and to. Celsius and Fahrenheit meet at minus 40, the one point where no conversion is needed.
- 2.Fahrenheit to Celsius is subtract 32, then multiply by 5/9. The subtraction comes first because the two scales have different zero points, not just different step sizes.
- 3.Kelvin shares its step size with Celsius and starts at absolute zero, so it is Celsius plus 273.15 with no multiplication anywhere.
Fahrenheit to Celsius at the temperatures that matter
| Temperature | Converted value | In Kelvin |
|---|---|---|
| -40 | -40.00 | 233.15 K |
| 0 | -17.78 | 255.37 K |
| 32 | 0.00 | 273.15 K |
| 50 | 10.00 | 283.15 K |
| 68 | 20.00 | 293.15 K |
| 72 | 22.22 | 295.37 K |
| 98.6 | 37.00 | 310.15 K |
| 100 | 37.78 | 310.93 K |
| 212 | 100.00 | 373.15 K |
Converting from Fahrenheit. −40 is where the two scales meet, 32 is freezing, 98.6 is body temperature and 212 is boiling.
The formula
- In Celsius
72 * 0 + (72 - 32) * 5 / 9 * 1 + (72 - 273.15) * 0 - In Fahrenheit
22.222222 * 9 / 5 + 32 - In Kelvin
22.222222 + 273.15 - Converted value
22.222222 * 1 + 72 * 0 + 295.37222 * 0
Source: NIST — SI units and temperature scales, BIPM — the kelvin and the International System of Units
Questions people actually ask
- Why is the conversion not just a multiplication?
- The scales have different zero points as well as different degree sizes. Fahrenheit puts water's freezing point at 32 rather than 0, so you subtract before scaling — skipping that step is the classic error.
- Why does Kelvin have no degree sign?
- It is an absolute scale, not a relative one, so its units are kelvins rather than degrees. Since 2019 the kelvin is defined by fixing the Boltzmann constant, not by the properties of water.
- Is a temperature difference converted the same way?
- No. For a difference, only the ratio applies: a 10°C rise is an 18°F rise, not 50°F. Add the 32 offset only when converting an absolute temperature.
Related
- Height ConverterConverts height between centimeters, meters and feet-and-inches in either direction. With the centimeters-to-feet chart most people are actually looking for.
- Percentage Change CalculatorPercentage increase or decrease between two values, with the absolute difference and the multiplier.
- Grams to Cups ConverterCups to grams and back for 93 ingredients, and what the same cup weighs depending on how it was filled.
- Milligrams to Milliliters CalculatorVolume of a liquid that holds a given mass, from the concentration on the label — because milligrams and milliliters only relate through that number.
- Horsepower and Torque CalculatorHorsepower from torque and engine speed, with the kilowatt and metric PS figures the same engine is sold under elsewhere.
- Ohm's Law CalculatorVoltage, current, resistance and power from any two of them, with the whole set printed rather than the one you asked for.
Part of a job
- Cooking from a metric recipe — 5 pages, in the order the questions arrive
Put this calculator on your site
Free, no attribution required beyond the link.
<iframe src="https://rulecalculators.com/embed/temperature-converter" width="100%" height="420" style="border:1px solid #e7e4de;border-radius:12px" title="Temperature Converter"></iframe>Straight to your case
The control above covers every case. These are the same calculator fixed to one of them, with the formula for that case written out.
- Celsius to Fahrenheit×9/5 Then +32
- Fahrenheit to Celsius−32 Then ×5/9
- Kelvin to CelsiusSubtract 273.15