Convert Triple Point of Water to Millikelvin
Convert triple points of water to millikelvins instantly. 1 TPW = 273160 mK — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a reference-temperature table and worked examples. Also check the Millikelvin to Triple Point of Water converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Triple Point of Water
The triple point of water is the unique state at which ice, liquid water, and water vapor coexist in equilibrium — exactly 273.16 K (0.01 °C). Treated as a converter unit, 1 triple point of water equals exactly 273.16 kelvins.
Adopted as thermometry's master fixed point because it is exactly reproducible in a sealed glass cell, unlike freezing and boiling points, which shift with atmospheric pressure and dissolved impurities.
Calibration laboratories and the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90); from 1954 to 2019 the kelvin itself was defined as exactly 1/273.16 of this temperature.
Fixed at exactly 273.16 K by the 10th CGPM in 1954; it remained the kelvin's defining point until the 2019 SI redefinition through the Boltzmann constant.
Millikelvin
One millikelvin (mK) is one thousandth of a kelvin (10⁻³ K), measured upward from absolute zero.
Formed with the SI prefix 'milli-' (from Latin 'mille', a thousand) applied to the kelvin base unit.
Cryogenics and low-temperature physics — the dilution refrigerators that cool superconducting quantum computers operate at roughly 10–20 mK.
The milli- prefix belongs to the original metric system of 1795 and was carried into the SI in 1960; the kelvin became an SI base unit in 1954.
Triple Point of Water to Millikelvin conversion formula
The exact relationship between triple points of water and millikelvins:
To convert triple points of water to millikelvins, multiply the value in triple points of water by 273160. To reverse, multiply the value in millikelvins by 3.660858e-6.
Both units count upward from absolute zero, so 0 TPW = 0 mK and the relationship is a pure ratio.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in millikelvins updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Millikelvin to Triple Point of Water converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert triple points of water to millikelvins
- Write down the temperature in triple points of water (TPW).
- Multiply the value in triple points of water by 273160.
- The result is the same temperature expressed in millikelvins (mK).
- To reverse, multiply the value in millikelvins by 3.660858e-6 — or open the Millikelvin to Triple Point of Water converter.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 TPW to mK:
1 × 273160 = 273160 mK
Example 2 — Convert 100 TPW to mK:
100 × 273160 = 2.7316e+7 mK
Triple Point of Water to Millikelvin conversion table
Physically meaningful reference temperatures, from absolute zero to the surface of the Sun, converted from triple points of water to millikelvins:
| Triple Point of Water [TPW] | Millikelvin [mK] | Reference point |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | Absolute zero |
| 0.8535290672 | 233150 | Where Celsius and Fahrenheit coincide (−40°) |
| 0.9348814695 | 255372.2222222222 | Zero Fahrenheit (0 °F) |
| 0.9999633914 | 273150 | Water freezes (0 °C / 32 °F) |
| 1 | 273160 | Triple point of water |
| 1.0365719725 | 283150 | Cool day (10 °C / 50 °F) |
| 1.0731805535 | 293150 | Room temperature (20 °C / 68 °F) |
| 1.091484844 | 298150 | Standard laboratory temperature (25 °C) |
| 1.1097891346 | 303150 | Hot day (30 °C / 86 °F) |
| 1.1354151413 | 310150 | Human body temperature (37 °C / 98.6 °F) |
| 1.1463977156 | 313150 | Heat-wave day (40 °C / 104 °F) |
| 1.1830062967 | 323150 | Hot tap water (50 °C / 122 °F) |
| 1.3660492019 | 373150 | Water boils (100 °C / 212 °F) |
| 1.6589178503 | 453150 | Moderate baking oven (180 °C / 356 °F) |
| 21.1524381315 | 5778000 | Surface of the Sun (≈5,505 °C) |
Frequently asked questions
How many millikelvins is 1 triple point of water?
How do I convert triple points of water to millikelvins?
How do I convert millikelvins back to triple points of water?
How many millikelvins is 100 triple points of water?
Can a temperature be below absolute zero?
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Modern Standard Scales (4 units)
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Scientific & Fixed-Point (2 units)
Sources & references
Conversion relationship (1 TPW = 273160 mK) 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.