Sailing Glossary - Term Kelvin temperature scale

An absolute temperature scale with the ice point of pure water defined as 273.16K. The size of the degree is the same as on the Celsius scale, and the zero point is absolute zero. Temperatures on this scale are called kelvins, not degrees kelvin, the unit kelvin is not capitalized, and the symbol (capital K) stands alone with no degree symbol. There are no negative temperatures in the Kelvin scale. In photometry, the Kelvin scale is used to express \color temperature,\"" a simplified way to characterize the spectral properties of a light source. Technically, color temperature refers to the temperature to which one would have to heat a theoretical \""black body\"" source to produce light of the same visual color. The Kelvin temperature scale is named after the British mathematician and physicist William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), who proposed it in 1848. ""