Temperature of work done on the work reservoir, and the first law of thermodynamics. The amounts of energy transferred as heat respectively from reservoir 1 and from reservoir 2 may then be denoted respectively and . Then the absolute or thermodynamic temperatures, and , of the reservoirs are defined so that to be such that Kelvin's original work postulating absolute temperature was published in 1848. It was based on the work of Carnot, before the formulation of the first law of thermodynamics. Kelvin wrote in his 1848 paper that his scale was absolute in the sense that it was defined "independently
Absolute scale measurements of absolute pressure from weather forecasts, most pressures such as tire pressures and water pressures are measured relative to atmospheric pressure using cheaper and simpler pressure gauges. For this reason, the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure is called gauge pressure and measurements given in units like pounds per square inch (abbreviated lbf/in or psi) are often shown as "psig" (the "g" standing for gauge) or "psia" ("a" for absolute). Absolute scales are used when precise values are needed in comparison to a natural, unchanging zero point. Measurements of length, area and volume are inherently absolute, although measurements of distance