Question

Propane has a boiling point of (-42.0ºC ) What is this temperature equivalent to Kelvins Show calculations.

Answer 1

Step 1 - Understanding how to convert Celsius to Kelvin

Kelvin is called the absolute temperature because its zero is based on the complete absence of molecular motion (which is possible in theory, but quite impossible to reach experimentally).

The temperature in Kelvin is related to the temperature in Celsius by the following expression:

`T(K)=T(\degree C)+273.15`

That is, to obtain the temperature in Kelvin, we just need to add 273.15 to the temperature in Celsius.

Step 2 - Using the expression to solve the exercise

The boiling point of propane is -42.0°C. Note that this is our T(°C). To obtain T(K) let's plug the value in the equation:

`T(K)=-42.0+273.15=231.15K`

The equivalent temperature in Kelvin would be thus 231.15 K.