Convert Rankine to Nanokelvin
Convert degrees rankine to nanokelvins instantly. 1 °R = 5.555556e+8 nK — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a reference-temperature table and worked examples. Also check the Nanokelvin to Rankine converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Rankine
The degree Rankine (°R) is the absolute counterpart of the Fahrenheit scale: 0 °R is absolute zero, and one degree Rankine is exactly the same size as one degree Fahrenheit (5/9 of a kelvin). Water freezes at 491.67 °R.
Named for William John Macquorn Rankine, the Scottish engineer and physicist who proposed an absolute scale built from Fahrenheit-sized degrees, paralleling Kelvin's absolute scale built from Celsius-sized degrees.
Used mainly in United States aerospace, thermodynamics, and power-plant engineering, where calculations demand absolute temperature but legacy data, instruments, and codes are in Fahrenheit.
Proposed by W. J. M. Rankine at the University of Glasgow in 1859, eleven years after Lord Kelvin's absolute scale of 1848.
Nanokelvin
One nanokelvin (nK) is one billionth of a kelvin (10⁻⁹ K) above absolute zero.
Formed with the SI prefix 'nano-' (from Greek 'nanos', dwarf) applied to the kelvin base unit.
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.
The nano- prefix was adopted by the 11th CGPM in 1960 at the launch of the International System of Units.
Rankine to Nanokelvin conversion formula
The exact relationship between degrees rankine and nanokelvins:
To convert degrees rankine to nanokelvins, multiply the value in degrees rankine by 5.555556e+8. To reverse, multiply the value in nanokelvins by 1.8e-9.
Both units count upward from absolute zero, so 0 °R = 0 nK and the relationship is a pure ratio.
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 Rankine converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert degrees rankine to nanokelvins
- Write down the temperature in degrees rankine (°R).
- Multiply the value in degrees rankine by 5.555556e+8.
- The result is the same temperature expressed in nanokelvins (nK).
- To reverse, multiply the value in nanokelvins by 1.8e-9 — or open the Nanokelvin to Rankine converter.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 °R to nK:
1 × 5.555556e+8 = 5.555556e+8 nK
Example 2 — Convert 100 °R to nK:
100 × 5.555556e+8 = 5.555556e+10 nK
Rankine to Nanokelvin conversion table
Physically meaningful reference temperatures, from absolute zero to the surface of the Sun, converted from degrees rankine to nanokelvins:
| Rankine [°R] | Nanokelvin [nK] | Reference point |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | Absolute zero |
| 419.67 | 2.3315e+11 | Where Celsius and Fahrenheit coincide (−40°) |
| 459.67 | 2.553722e+11 | Zero Fahrenheit (0 °F) |
| 491.67 | 2.7315e+11 | Water freezes (0 °C / 32 °F) |
| 491.688 | 2.7316e+11 | Triple point of water |
| 509.67 | 2.8315e+11 | Cool day (10 °C / 50 °F) |
| 527.67 | 2.9315e+11 | Room temperature (20 °C / 68 °F) |
| 536.67 | 2.9815e+11 | Standard laboratory temperature (25 °C) |
| 545.67 | 3.0315e+11 | Hot day (30 °C / 86 °F) |
| 558.27 | 3.1015e+11 | Human body temperature (37 °C / 98.6 °F) |
| 563.67 | 3.1315e+11 | Heat-wave day (40 °C / 104 °F) |
| 581.67 | 3.2315e+11 | Hot tap water (50 °C / 122 °F) |
| 671.67 | 3.7315e+11 | Water boils (100 °C / 212 °F) |
| 815.67 | 4.5315e+11 | Moderate baking oven (180 °C / 356 °F) |
| 10400.4 | 5.778e+12 | Surface of the Sun (≈5,505 °C) |
Frequently asked questions
How many nanokelvins is 1 degree rankine?
How do I convert degrees rankine to nanokelvins?
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Can a temperature be below absolute zero?
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Sources & references
Conversion relationship (1 °R = 5.555556e+8 nK) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- BIPM — International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90)
The internationally agreed practical temperature scale, defining fixed points (including the triple point of water at 273.16 K) and interpolation instruments used by national metrology institutes for thermometer calibration worldwide.
- CODATA Internationally Recommended Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants
Committee on Data of the International Science Council; authoritative source for the masses of fundamental particles (electron, proton, neutron) and the atomic mass constant.