have you ever wondered what 2 billion degrees kelvin looks like (see below)? not only can we see what it looks like (in plasma form), it has existed right here on little ole' earth -- right in our very own new mexico, just outside (s.e.) of albuquerque, and it has existed many times over the last 14 months! for the article, go to http://www.sandia.gov/news-center/news-releases/2006/physics-astron/hottest-z-output.html or for a briefer blurb and bigger picture go to http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060313.html .
naturally, i had to figure out how much 2 billion degrees kelvin was in farenheit. none of the three conversion bookmarks i have in my favorites would convert it for me, although one of them at least tried -- it said "degree Fahrenheit (F), kelvin (K): tk = (tF+459.7)/1.8"
( http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/reference/metrics/factors.htm ) since i needed the reverse of that formula, i sat and tried to figure out how to do it, like, did i invert and multiply, then add or subtract, but i got confused so my brain threw up.
then i googled it and came up with this -- "To convert a temperature in Kelvin to Farenheit, use this formula: Temperature in Farenheit = 9x(Temperature in Kelvin - 273)/5 +32." ( http://ganymede.nmsu.edu/tharriso/ast110/class11.html ) oh, okay ... so take 2 billion and subtract 273 ... hmmm, well, we can probably forget the 273 ... then take 2 billion and divide by 5 and take that times 9 and add 32, or do i divide by 5, add 32, then take it times 9. probably divide by 5, forget the 32, and multiply by 9. at any rate, the answer is around 3.6 billion degrees farenheit. pretty hot, huh. and they're not even sure how it happens. hmmm ..... i wonder if that means they should quit doing it?!
my allergies -- are driving me crazy!!!11!1111!
Jeff Woodall -- Sand World
I've actually been using Google a lot lately for unit conversions. For example.
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