High School

The diagram shows the scales used for recording temperatures. The labels for the scales are missing. Which labels complete the diagram?

A. W: Fahrenheit X: Celsius Y: Kelvin
B. W: Kelvin X: Celsius Y: Fahrenheit
C. W: Celsius X: Fahrenheit Y: Kelvin
D. W: Celsius X: Kelvin Y: Fahrenheit

Answer :

The correct labels for the diagram based on the scales used for recording temperatures and their reference points should be W: Celsius, X: Fahrenheit, Y: Kelvin.

To correctly label the temperature scales in the diagram, one must be aware of the relationships and reference points of the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales. The Celsius scale uses the freezing point of water (0 0C) and the boiling point of water (100 0C) as its reference points. Fahrenheit has the freezing point of water at 32 0F and the boiling point at 212 0F. The Kelvin scale is an absolute temperature scale, starting at absolute zero (0 K), which is the theoretical lowest temperature possible, and does not use degrees. Instead, it uses the kelvin (K) as its unit. Since Celsius and Kelvin have fixed increments, the relation is direct, but Fahrenheit increments are different.

If the diagram shows these relationships to the nearest degree and the relative sizes of the scales, then the correct labels for the diagram, based on scale size and reference points, should be W: Celsius, X: Fahrenheit, Y: Kelvin. This is because the Kelvin scale will have the largest numbers due to its absolute nature, the Fahrenheit scale will have numbers larger than Celsius for the same temperature above freezing point, and the Celsius scale is typically used as the standard of comparison in scientific contexts.