1 degree Celsius is equal to 274.15 kelvin.
When you convert 1 °C to kelvin, you simply add 273.15 to the Celsius temperature. This makes the result 274.15 K. The kelvin scale starts at absolute zero, which is −273.15 °C, so any Celsius value plus 273.15 gives the kelvin temperature.
Conversion Tool
Result in kelvin:
Conversion Formula
The formula for converting degrees Celsius (c) to kelvin is very straightforward:
K = °C + 273.15
This works because kelvin is an absolute temperature scale, its zero point is absolute zero, which is −273.15 °C. To shift a Celsius value onto the kelvin scale, you add 273.15. No numbers are multiplied, so it keeps the size of a degree exactly the same.
Step-by-step for 1 °C:
- Start with your Celsius value: 1
- Add 273.15 to it: 1 + 273.15
- Result: 274.15 K
Conversion Example
-
Convert -5 °C to kelvin:
- Begin with -5
- Add 273.15: -5 + 273.15
- Result is 268.15 K
-
Convert 10 °C to kelvin:
- Start with 10
- Add 273.15: 10 + 273.15
- Result is 283.15 K
-
Convert 25.5 °C to kelvin:
- Begin with 25.5
- Add 273.15: 25.5 + 273.15
- Result is 298.65 K
-
Convert -12 °C to kelvin:
- Start with -12
- Add 273.15: -12 + 273.15
- Result is 261.15 K
Conversion Chart
This chart shows Celsius values from -24.0 to 26.0, each with their kelvin equivalent. To find a kelvin value, look in the left column for the Celsius temperature, then read across to the right column for kelvin. This can help, when doing quick checks or manual conversions, not needing to calculate every time.
| Celsius (°C) | Kelvin (K) |
|---|---|
| -24.0 | 249.15 |
| -22.0 | 251.15 |
| -20.0 | 253.15 |
| -18.0 | 255.15 |
| -16.0 | 257.15 |
| -14.0 | 259.15 |
| -12.0 | 261.15 |
| -10.0 | 263.15 |
| -8.0 | 265.15 |
| -6.0 | 267.15 |
| -4.0 | 269.15 |
| -2.0 | 271.15 |
| 0.0 | 273.15 |
| 2.0 | 275.15 |
| 4.0 | 277.15 |
| 6.0 | 279.15 |
| 8.0 | 281.15 |
| 10.0 | 283.15 |
| 12.0 | 285.15 |
| 14.0 | 287.15 |
| 16.0 | 289.15 |
| 18.0 | 291.15 |
| 20.0 | 293.15 |
| 22.0 | 295.15 |
| 24.0 | 297.15 |
| 26.0 | 299.15 |
Related Conversion Questions
- How do you turn 1 degree Celsius into kelvin without a calculator?
- Why does 1 °C equal 274.15 kelvin and not another number?
- Is there any situation where 1 Celsius isn’t 274.15 K?
- Can you go from 1 kelvin to Celsius using the reverse formula?
- If I need to convert 1.0 °C to kelvin for physics, is it always 274.15?
- What is absolute zero in Celsius and kelvin, and how is it related to converting 1 °C?
- Does the decimal matter when converting 1 Celsius to kelvin in chemistry lab work?
Conversion Definitions
c: The Celsius (c) scale measures temperature relative to the freezing and boiling points of water, with 0 °C as water’s freezing and 100 °C as boiling (at 1 atm pressure). It is used for weather, science, and everyday temperature readings almost worldwide except a few countries.
kelvin: Kelvin (K) is the base unit of thermodynamic temperature in the International System of Units (SI). It starts at absolute zero, the lowest temperature possible. Each kelvin step is the same size as a Celsius degree, but kelvin values have no negative numbers.
Conversion FAQs
Does converting Celsius to kelvin affect the size of the degree?
No, the difference between one degree Celsius and one kelvin is the same. You’re just shifting the zero point up by 273.15, so the intervals remains exactly the same size, which can be confusing for beginners, but it’s simple once you try it a few times.
Why are kelvin values never negative?
Kelvin starts at absolute zero, the coldest possible temperature. There are no negative kelvin values, because, physically, you can’t have less than zero thermal energy. In contrast, Celsius can go negative because it uses water’s freezing as its zero instead of absolute zero.
Is there any rounding involved when converting 1 °C to kelvin?
The exact answer is 274.15 kelvin. Sometimes, in textbooks or lab sheets, it might be rounded to 274 K if only whole numbers are needed, but in scientific work, decimals are kept to show more precision, especially for calculations that need accuracy.
What if I use Fahrenheit by mistake when converting to kelvin?
If you begin with Fahrenheit, you can’t just add 273.15. You must convert Fahrenheit to Celsius first, using the formula: °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9, then add 273.15 to get kelvin. Skipping the step will give the wrong answer, causing errors.