Quick Science Question: °K or K?

Question

So... I know that it's always °C for Celsius and °F for Fahrenheit, but I have a question about Kelvin.

 

Let's say you have 0°C, which is 32°F, which is also 273°K... or is it just 273 K? My science teacher always writes °K, and so do a few websites I've been on, but Wikipedia and other sites just say K.

 

I know it's not really a life-threatening question or anything but it's just really annoying me >.<

Answer 1

Writing degrees Kelvin (with the degree symbol) is actually not correct, although many people do it. All teachers and professors with whom I have studied have opted for simply Kelvin. This is also the reported Standard International (SI) unit, without the degree symbol. See reference here: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/units.html

 

However, as Roger said, people will know what you mean.   

Answer 2

Most sites probably omit the little circle because it's harder to type symbols that aren't readily available on the keyboard. To answer your question, they are equivalent, and within the right context, anyone who is reading your work will understand what you are saying.

 

It should be noted that because you are in an academic setting, you will want to include the little circle as it does eliminates any uncertainty (as teachers are sticklers for making sure you write down your units correctly), so to avoid any issues, write down the circle whenever possible. When referencing online materials, you can infer that they are referring to Kelvin.