How to convert Celsius/Fahrenheit/Kelvin temperatures in Python using UliEngineering

In this example, we’ll use the UliEngineering library to convert between the three most commonly used units of temperature: Celsius (°C), Fahrenheit (°F) and Kelvin (K)

In order to install UliEngineering (a Python 3 library) run:

sudo pip3 install -U UliEngineering

We can now use the following functions from the UliEngineering.Physics.Temperature package to convert between the units of temperature:

  • celsius_to_kelvin(temperature)
  • kelvin_to_celsius(temperature)
  • fahrenheit_to_kelvin(temperature)
  • fahrenheit_to_celsius(temperature)

Tip: You can pass both numbers (like 120) or strings (like 120 °C or 0.01 °F) to most UliEngineering functions. SI prefixes like k and m are automatically decoded.

Example:

from UliEngineering.EngineerIO import auto_print
from UliEngineering.Physics.Temperature import *

# Convert to celsius and store in variable
temp = fahrenheit_to_celsius("120 °F") # temp = 48.88888888888897

# Automatically format value & print. Prints "48.9 °C"
auto_print(fahrenheit_to_celsius, "120 °F")

Additionally, UliEngineering provides normalize_temperature_celsius(temp, default_unit="°C") which takes a string and automatically recognizes the unit (if there is no unit given, the default_unit is assumed).

Examples:

  • normalize_temperature_celsius("120 °C") == 120.0
  • normalize_temperature_celsius("120") == 120.0
  • normalize_temperature_celsius(120) == 120.0
  • normalize_temperature_celsius("120 °F") == 48.88888888888897
  • normalize_temperature_celsius("120 K") == -153.14999999999998
  • auto_print(normalize_temperature_celsius, "120 K") prints -153.15 °C

Note that while °K is recognized by UliEngineering‘s functions, K is correctly used without a degree symbol.

Also there is normalize_temperature(temp, default_unit="°C") which is equivalent to normalize_temperature_celsius() except it returns the temperature in Kelvin instead of degrees Celsius.