Which temperature scale assigns the freezing point of water as 0 degrees?

Which temperature scale assigns the freezing point of water as 0 degrees?

• A. Fahrenheit
• B. Celsius
• C. Kelvin
• D. Rankine

Answer: (B)

Where zero is defined on a temperature scale is what this question tests. On the Celsius scale, zero degrees is set at the freezing point of water under standard atmospheric pressure, and the range from freezing to boiling is divided into 100 equal parts, so 0 °C marks the point where liquid water freezes. That makes it the scale where the freezing point is defined as 0 degrees. The other scales use different reference points: Fahrenheit places freezing at 32 °F, while Kelvin uses absolute zero as zero (with water freezing near 273.15 K) and Rankine uses absolute zero in Fahrenheit-sized degrees. In short, the defining feature here is that 0 is anchored at the freezing point of water on the Celsius scale.

Where zero is defined on a temperature scale is what this question tests. On the Celsius scale, zero degrees is set at the freezing point of water under standard atmospheric pressure, and the range from freezing to boiling is divided into 100 equal parts, so 0 °C marks the point where liquid water freezes. That makes it the scale where the freezing point is defined as 0 degrees. The other scales use different reference points: Fahrenheit places freezing at 32 °F, while Kelvin uses absolute zero as zero (with water freezing near 273.15 K) and Rankine uses absolute zero in Fahrenheit-sized degrees. In short, the defining feature here is that 0 is anchored at the freezing point of water on the Celsius scale.