An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The → SI unit of → thermodynamic temperature; symbol K. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the → Boltzmann constant, k, to be 1.380 649 × 10^-23 when expressed in the unit J K^-1, which is equal to kg m² s^-2 K^-1 , where the kilogram, meter and second are defined in terms of → Planck's constant (h), → velocity of light (c), and Δν_Cs.

Named after the Scottish physicist William Thomson, also known as Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), one of the most influential scientists of the 19th century.