Temperature converts between Celsius (°C — used in India and most of the world), Fahrenheit (°F — US), Kelvin (K — science), and Rankine (°R — US engineering). Unlike most conversions, temperature uses an offset and a scale, not a single multiplier.
What is Temperature Converter?
Temperature is the only common unit conversion that involves an offset, not just a multiplier. Water freezes at 0°C and 32°F, so converting between the two scales requires shifting the zero point first, then applying the slope.
Celsius is the everyday scale in India and most of the world. Water freezes at 0, boils at 100. Body temperature is around 37. Indian summer hits the mid-40s in the north; mountain stations drop to single digits.
Fahrenheit is used in the US and a few other places. 32 is freezing, 212 is boiling, body temperature is 98.6, room temperature is around 70.
Kelvin is the scientific absolute scale. Zero Kelvin is absolute zero (−273.15°C) — the theoretical absence of all thermal energy. The scale slope is identical to Celsius — a 1 K change equals a 1°C change.
Temperature formulas
- C
- Celsius—temperature in Celsius
- F
- Fahrenheit—temperature in Fahrenheit
- K
- Kelvin—absolute temperature in Kelvin
How to use this calculator
Pick a source temperature scale, target scale, and enter a value.
Enter the temperature value
Decimal-precise, including negatives. Body temperature ≈ 37°C; freezing point of water = 0°C.
Pick the source scale
Celsius for daily Indian use, Fahrenheit for US contexts, Kelvin for scientific work.
Pick the target scale
Same set of options. The calculator handles the offset automatically.
Common temperature conversions
Body temperature
98.6°F (US standard) = 37°C. Fever above 100°F = 37.8°C.
Weather reports
Comparing news from US (Fahrenheit) with India (Celsius). 70°F = 21°C, comfortable spring.
Cooking
American recipes use °F for oven temperatures. 350°F = 177°C — a common baking temperature.
Air conditioning
Indian ACs default to 24°C; US thermostats to 72°F. Both about the same.
Scientific lab
Kelvin is preferred for absolute calculations. Room temperature ≈ 293 K.
Common mistakes to avoid
Doubling °C and adding 30 for a precise answer
That shortcut (40°C → ~110°F) is fine for weather talk but drifts up to 5°F off at extremes. The exact rule is ×1.8 + 32: 40°C = 104°F. Use the calculator when it's a fever reading or an oven setting.
Converting temperature DIFFERENCES with the +32 offset
A rise of 20°C is a rise of 36°F (×1.8 only — no +32). The offset applies to temperature points, not to changes between them.
Reading a US recipe's 350° as Celsius
American ovens are Fahrenheit: 350°F = 177°C ≈ the 180°C standard baking temperature. Setting an Indian oven to 350°C will incinerate the cake.
Glossary
- Celsius (°C)
- Water-based scale: 0 = freezing, 100 = boiling at standard atmospheric pressure.
- Fahrenheit (°F)
- Older scale used mainly in the US. 32 = freezing, 212 = boiling.
- Kelvin (K)
- SI absolute scale. 0 K = absolute zero. Used in science.
- Absolute zero
- −273.15°C — the theoretical lowest possible temperature, where molecular motion stops.