
These cells provide temperature exactly 273.16 К (0.01° С). Triple point of water cells are used for this purpose. Triple point of water is sometimes used in the calibration of measurement equipment and thermometers.

Above the triple point, solid ice when heated at constant pressure, first melts to form liquid water, and then evaporates or boils to form vapor at a higher temperature. At pressures below the triple point (as in outer space), solid ice when heated at constant pressure sublimates directly into water vapour. The vapour–liquid water–ice triple point of water corresponds to the minimum pressure at which liquid water can exist. At that point, it is possible to change all of the substance to vapour, water, or ice by making arbitrarily small changes in pressure and temperature. The single combination of pressure and temperature at which liquid water, solid ice, and water vapour can coexist in a stable equilibrium occurs at exactly 0.01 ☌ (273.16 K) and a partial vapour pressure of 611.73 Pa.

The triple point of water is the temperature and pressure at which its three phases (vapour, liquid water, and ice) coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium. They can be sped up or slowed down by changes in temperature. Temperature affects electrical conductivity and serves as a catalyst for chemical reactions. Most matter in the Universe is in plasma form. Partly or completely ionized gas is called plasma it is an electrically neutral system. Heating a gas will cause atoms to divide into charged particles, ions and electrons - a process called ionization. The temperature range that allows matter to exist in liquid form is usually quite small. Some materials melt and turn into liquids when exposed to high temperatures, while others, such as wood, burn. For example, most ceramics do not change their solid state even if exposed to very high temperatures up to 1000☌. Materials that do not change their state at high temperatures are called refractory materials. The distance between molecules and the kinetic energy that they store is the greatest in gases and the lowest in solids. The molecules vibrate more and travel far enough away from each other to change the state from solid to liquid to gas. Molecules vibrate within matter, and raise in temperature increases the kinetic energy and molecule speeds. Temperature determines the state of the matter, such as plasma, gas, liquid, or solid. The SI unit for temperature is a degree in the Kelvin scale and is called Kelvin (K).Įlectric discharge in a plasma lamp Temperature in Physics and Chemistry The freezing point of water corresponds to 32☏. To convert degrees Celsius to Fahrenheit the formula below can be used: The Fahrenheit scale not only differs in the point set as zero, but also uses a different incrementation formula. In Celsius it is the temperature of the water freezing, while in Kelvin it is the lowest possible temperature, or –273.15☌.

Kelvin and Celsius scales have different points set as zero.

Temperature is measured in degrees but three different scales exist: Celsius (the most common scale), Fahrenheit (used in the USA and several other countries), and Kelvin (used in science). Temperature is measured with a thermometer, and the lowest possible temperature is –273.15☌. Materials with low conductivity are used for thermal insulation. This means that they do not transfer heat as well as other materials. Some materials are more resistant to thermal conductivity than others. Materials have different levels of susceptibility to this heat transfer, or heat conductivity. For example, if you open the window in winter, the air in the room will transfer heat to the street, until the temperature in the room is the same as outside. Energy is transferred between objects and matter of higher temperatures to those of lower temperatures, until the temperatures are balanced in thermal equilibrium. It can also be defined as the average amount of kinetic energy in the particles that make up the object or matter. Temperature is a measure of the degree of magnitude of heat in an object or matter. One of the master glassmakers uses a glowing gob of molten glass on the end of a pipe to shape it into a vase. The Hot Glass Show at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, USA.
