An organic chemist measures the temperature T of a solution in a reaction flask. Here is the result:
T = 141.0 °C
Convert T to SI units. Round your answer to 3 significant figures.
Answer (2)
Convert Celsius to Kelvin using the formula: K = T ° C + 273.15 .
Substitute the given temperature: K = 141.0 + 273.15 = 414.15 .
Round the result to 3 significant figures: K ≈ 414 .
The temperature in Kelvin is 414
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given a temperature in degrees Celsius and asked to convert it to Kelvin, which is the SI unit for temperature. We also need to round the final answer to 3 significant figures.
Conversion Formula The formula to convert Celsius to Kelvin is: K = T ° C + 273.15 where K is the temperature in Kelvin and T ° C is the temperature in degrees Celsius.
Calculating Kelvin We are given T ° C = 141.0 °C. Substituting this into the formula, we get: K = 141.0 + 273.15 = 414.15
Rounding to 3 Significant Figures Now, we need to round the result to 3 significant figures. The number 414.15 has 5 significant figures. To round it to 3 significant figures, we look at the first 4 digits. Since the fourth digit is 1 (less than 5), we round down and keep the first three digits as they are. Thus, we get: K ≈ 414
Final Answer Therefore, the temperature in SI units (Kelvin), rounded to 3 significant figures, is 414 K.
Examples
Converting temperature from Celsius to Kelvin is essential in many scientific and engineering applications. For instance, when studying chemical reactions, the rate constants are often temperature-dependent, and the temperature must be in Kelvin for accurate calculations. Similarly, in thermodynamics, many equations require temperature to be in Kelvin to ensure consistency and correctness of results. This conversion is also crucial in fields like meteorology and climate science, where temperature data is analyzed and compared across different regions and time periods.
The temperature in Kelvin, converted from 141.0 °C, is 414 K after rounding to three significant figures. The conversion is done using the formula K = T_{°C} + 273.15. Thus, the final answer is 414 K.
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