Which temperature scale has the boiling point of water at 373.15?

Which temperature scale has the boiling point of water at 373.15?

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

Answer: (C)

Understanding where common reference points land on different temperature scales helps you map numbers to the right scale. The boiling point of water at standard pressure is 100°C. To get Kelvin, you add 273.15 to Celsius, so 100°C equals 373.15 K. Kelvin uses absolute zero as its zero point and has the same degree size as Celsius, so the conversion is a simple offset, not a change in the scale’s unit size. That same physical point looks different on other scales: it’s 212°F on the Fahrenheit scale, and about 671.67°R on the Rankine scale. Since 373.15 is the value for water’s boiling point in Kelvin, that scale is the one that places it exactly at 373.15.

Understanding where common reference points land on different temperature scales helps you map numbers to the right scale. The boiling point of water at standard pressure is 100°C. To get Kelvin, you add 273.15 to Celsius, so 100°C equals 373.15 K. Kelvin uses absolute zero as its zero point and has the same degree size as Celsius, so the conversion is a simple offset, not a change in the scale’s unit size.

That same physical point looks different on other scales: it’s 212°F on the Fahrenheit scale, and about 671.67°R on the Rankine scale. Since 373.15 is the value for water’s boiling point in Kelvin, that scale is the one that places it exactly at 373.15.