Temperature · Unit Converter

Convert Delisle to Nanokelvin

Convert degrees delisle to nanokelvins instantly. nK = 373150000000 − (°De × 6.666667e+8) — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a reference-temperature table and worked examples. Also check the Nanokelvin to Delisle converter for the reverse conversion.

Written by Sunith Babu L, Ph.D., Lead Engineer Reviewed by Girish V Kulkarni Ph.D.
Temperature category 2 min read Published Last reviewed Updated

Units explained

Historical Scales

Delisle

What is a degree delisle?

The degree Delisle (°De) is a famously reversed scale: water boils at 0 °De and freezes at 150 °De, so numbers increase as temperature falls. One degree Delisle corresponds to exactly −2/3 of a kelvin.

Origin of the degree delisle

Invented by French astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle while directing the observatory in St. Petersburg, Russia; his thermometers were originally graduated by the contraction of mercury cooling down from the boiling point of water.

Where it is used

Widely used in 18th-century Russia for about a century. Today it appears only in the history of thermometry, where it is the textbook example of an inverted temperature scale.

When and where it was developed

Created by Joseph-Nicolas Delisle in St. Petersburg in 1732; recalibrated to the familiar 150-division form by Josias Weitbrecht in 1738.

SI Prefixed Kelvin

Nanokelvin

What is a nanokelvin?

One nanokelvin (nK) is one billionth of a kelvin (10⁻⁹ K) above absolute zero.

Origin of the nanokelvin

Formed with the SI prefix 'nano-' (from Greek 'nanos', dwarf) applied to the kelvin base unit.

Where it is used

The realm of Bose–Einstein condensates: the first condensate was created at about 170 nK in 1995, among the coldest temperatures ever achieved anywhere in the universe.

When and where it was developed

The nano- prefix was adopted by the 11th CGPM in 1960 at the launch of the International System of Units.

Delisle to Nanokelvin conversion formula

The exact relationship between degrees delisle and nanokelvins:

nK = 373150000000 − (°De × 6.666667e+8)
°De = 559.725 − (nK × 1.5e-9)

To convert degrees delisle to nanokelvins, multiply the value by 6.666667e+8 and subtract the result from 373150000000. To reverse, multiply the value by 1.5e-9 and subtract the result from 559.725.

Reference anchors: water freezes at 150 °De = 2.7315e+11 nK and boils at 0 °De = 3.7315e+11 nK (at standard atmospheric pressure).

How to use this converter

Type a value into the calculator. The result in nanokelvins updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Nanokelvin to Delisle converter for the reverse direction.

Step-by-step: convert degrees delisle to nanokelvins

  1. Write down the temperature in degrees delisle (°De).
  2. Multiply the value by 6.666667e+8 and subtract the result from 373150000000.
  3. The result is the same temperature expressed in nanokelvins (nK).
  4. To reverse, multiply the value by 1.5e-9 and subtract the result from 559.725 — or open the Nanokelvin to Delisle converter.

Worked examples

Example 1 — Convert 94.5 °De to nK (human body temperature):
373150000000 − (94.5 × 6.666667e+8) = 3.1015e+11 nK

Example 2 — Convert 0 °De to nK (the boiling point of water):
373150000000 − (0 × 6.666667e+8) = 3.7315e+11 nK

Delisle to Nanokelvin conversion table

Physically meaningful reference temperatures, from absolute zero to the surface of the Sun, converted from degrees delisle to nanokelvins:

Delisle [°De]Nanokelvin [nK]Reference point
559.7250Absolute zero
2102.3315e+11Where Celsius and Fahrenheit coincide (−40°)
176.66666666672.553722e+11Zero Fahrenheit (0 °F)
1502.7315e+11Water freezes (0 °C / 32 °F)
149.9852.7316e+11Triple point of water
1352.8315e+11Cool day (10 °C / 50 °F)
1202.9315e+11Room temperature (20 °C / 68 °F)
112.52.9815e+11Standard laboratory temperature (25 °C)
1053.0315e+11Hot day (30 °C / 86 °F)
94.53.1015e+11Human body temperature (37 °C / 98.6 °F)
903.1315e+11Heat-wave day (40 °C / 104 °F)
753.2315e+11Hot tap water (50 °C / 122 °F)
03.7315e+11Water boils (100 °C / 212 °F)
-1204.5315e+11Moderate baking oven (180 °C / 356 °F)
-8107.2755.778e+12Surface of the Sun (≈5,505 °C)

Frequently asked questions

What is 94.5 °De in nK?
94.5 °De equals 3.1015e+11 nK — normal human body temperature.
How do I convert degrees delisle to nanokelvins?
Use the formula nK = 373150000000 − (°De × 6.666667e+8): multiply the value by 6.666667e+8 and subtract the result from 373150000000.
How do I convert nanokelvins back to degrees delisle?
Apply the reverse formula °De = 559.725 − (nK × 1.5e-9) — multiply the value by 1.5e-9 and subtract the result from 559.725 — or use the Nanokelvin to Delisle converter.
At what temperature do the Delisle and Nanokelvin scales read the same number?
Both scales show the same number at 559.7249991604: 559.7249991604 °De = 559.7249991604 nK. Set nK = °De in the conversion formula and solve to verify it.
Can a temperature be below absolute zero?
No. Absolute zero (0 K = −273.15 °C = −459.67 °F) is the floor of the thermodynamic temperature scale. The calculator flags any input that would fall below it.

Convert Delisle to other temperature units

Show all Delisle conversions

Sources & references

Conversion relationship (nK = 373150000000 − (°De × 6.666667e+8)) verified against the following authoritative sources:

Results are provided for general reference. Verify critical measurements against an authoritative standard.