Kelvin to Celsius
Type kelvin (K), see degrees Celsius (°C).
By Akash Yadav Updated 23 September 2026
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The formula
How to convert kelvin to Celsius
To change kelvin into degrees Celsius, subtract 273.15.
degrees Celsius = kelvin − 273.15
Going the other way: kelvin = degrees Celsius + 273.15
A reading of 1 kelvin is -272.15 degrees Celsius, but a step of 1 kelvin is 1 degree Celsius — the two scales start counting from different places, which is why the formula shifts the number and never scales it: the steps are the same size. The shift is an exact definition, not a rounded estimate.
Worked example
You have 300 kelvin. Subtract 273.15. 300 − 273.15 = 26.85 °C.
Common values
Kelvin to Celsius conversion table
| Kelvin (K) | Degrees Celsius (°C) |
|---|---|
| 0 K | -273.15 °C |
| 4 K | -269.15 °C |
| 20 K | -253.15 °C |
| 77 K | -196.15 °C |
| 100 K | -173.15 °C |
| 200 K | -73.15 °C |
| 273.15 K | 0 °C |
| 283.15 K | 10 °C |
| 293.15 K | 20 °C |
| 298.15 K | 25 °C |
| 300 K | 26.85 °C |
| 310.15 K | 37 °C |
| 373.15 K | 100 °C |
| 500 K | 226.85 °C |
| 1000 K | 726.85 °C |
Before you rely on it
Subtract 273.15 — the step size is the same
Kelvin and Celsius count in steps of the same size, so the conversion is one subtraction: take away 273.15. Unlike Fahrenheit, there is nothing to multiply.
Kelvin starts at absolute zero, 0 K, and cannot go lower. That is why science uses it: a gas at 600 K has twice the absolute temperature of the same gas at 300 K, a comparison that makes no sense in Celsius, whose zero is simply where water freezes.
The low end of the table is cryogenics. Liquid nitrogen boils at about 77 K and liquid helium at about 4 K, which is why those rows are there — they come out as large negative Celsius numbers.
Light bulbs and camera settings also use kelvin, as colour temperature: 2700 K is a warm, yellowish white and around 5000–6500 K is close to daylight. Those numbers describe the colour of the light, not how hot the bulb is, and converting them to Celsius tells you nothing useful.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert kelvin to Celsius?
Subtract 273.15. A kelvin and a Celsius degree are the same size, so no multiplying is needed.
What is 0 K in Celsius?
0 K is -273.15 °C — absolute zero, the lowest temperature possible.
What is 273.15 K in Celsius?
273.15 K is exactly 0 °C, the freezing point of water.
What is 300 K in Celsius?
300 K is 26.85 °C — a warm room. Physics problems use 300 K as a round-number room temperature.
What is 77 K in Celsius?
77 K is -196.15 °C, roughly where liquid nitrogen boils.
Can a temperature in kelvin be negative?
No. 0 K is absolute zero, and nothing can be colder, so a real kelvin reading is always zero or positive. The converter will still do the arithmetic for a negative number, but the result is not a temperature that exists.
Keep going
Related converters
- Celsius to Kelvin °C → K
- Fahrenheit to Celsius °F → °C
- Celsius to Fahrenheit °C → °F
- All temperature converters
Every factor on this page is listed in our conversion methodology.