Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

absolute zero but what about max temp?

I haven't done physics for about 9 months now (but i'm still doing bio, chem and maths), but it and especially stuff to do with the universe and astronomy still fascinate me.

I know there's a minimum temperature in the universe or absolute zero ie -273*c but is there a maximum????????????

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

asdfz

Original post by Nix-j-c

I read somewhere that it's known as 'Absolute Hot'..don't know much about it though

Reply 2

didgeridoo12uk

take a read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_hot

Reply 3

RWills

I may be wrong, but if heat is a form of energy and our universe is more or less infinitely massive then surely if you could have an infinite amount of heat?

Edit:

Original post by didgeridoo12uk

take a read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_hot

Touche!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 4

Nix-j-c

Original post by RWills

I may be wrong, but if heat is a form of energy and our universe is more or less infinitely massive then surely if you could have an infinite amount of heat?

good point. People only think that the universe is infinite though don't they, has it been conclusively proven yet?

Reply 5

Chwirkytheappleboy

Original post by Nix-j-c

I know there's a minimum temperature in the universe or absolute zero ie -273*c but is there a maximum????????????

I haven't heard about it, but I suppose theoretically the maximum temperature obtainable would be that achieved if all the energy in the universe were conferred to a single particle. If you believe in the Big Bang, then at the very start you'd have all the energy/mass of the universe confined to small space. I guess that point at that particular time was the hottest possible and won't ever be repeated

Reply 6

didgeridoo12uk

Original post by RWills

I may be wrong, but if heat is a form of energy and our universe is more or less infinitely massive then surely if you could have an infinite amount of heat?

Edit:
Touche!

haha i'm not saying i understand it or even agree with it! in my mind i see nothing wrong with having an infinite amount of heat.... obviously some very clever people do though :s

Reply 7

lukejoshjedi

Yeah I was about to say there is no absolute hot either... as long as atoms, molecules can vibrate faster and faster wouldn't that mean there's an infinite potential of heat / temperature a thing can get to

Reply 8

Nix-j-c

Original post by Chwirkytheappleboy

hhhhmmmmmm interesting thought, I do believe in the big bang, but jsut because all that matter was in the same place at the same time, does it necessarily mean it would be oober hot?

Reply 9

Chwirkytheappleboy

Original post by Nix-j-c

hhhhmmmmmm interesting thought, I do believe in the big bang, but jsut because all that matter was in the same place at the same time, does it necessarily mean it would be oober hot?

Well that's when the concentration of energy would have been highest (equating energy to matter) so would be the point in time which had the highest potential temperature. Not saying that was definitely the case - I don't know; I'm just thinking out loud

Reply 10

py0alb

There are a number of different theories. Our understanding of physics breaks down beyond the Planck temperature. Ultimately, the absolute upper limit of temperature is the point when all components of the system are approaching light speed. This would be approached assymptotically of course.

Reply 11

thievingllama

Original post by lukejoshjedi

This.

That article on 'absolute hot' is just theory, not something we have any reason to believe. Where it talks about the laws of physics breaking down at the planck temperature, it doesn't give us any reason to believe that this means it can't get hotter.

As far as we know there is no maximum temperature.

Reply 12

Nix-j-c

Original post by Chwirkytheappleboy

who knows ?!?!?!?! Has anyone worked out what the potential temp could be? or guestimate it?

Reply 13

py0alb

Original post by thievingllama

As far as we know there is no maximum temperature.

Well actually there is, unless you have evidence against the special theory of relativity that you would like to present to the forum?

Reply 14

thievingllama

Original post by py0alb

Well actually there is, unless you have evidence against the special theory of relativity that you would like to present to the forum?

Sorry, maybe I'm confused but you said asymptotically? i.e. particles moving at speed of light implies infinite temperature?

Reply 15

py0alb

Original post by thievingllama

Sorry, maybe I'm confused but you said asymptotically? i.e. particles moving at speed of light implies infinite temperature?

Yes. If you do the maths you can calculate the temperature that would be equivalent to all particles in the system moving at the speed of light. That temperature can never be reached. If thats not a maximum temperature I don't know what is.

There may well be a maximum temperature below that, but we can't say so for certain within hte limitations of our current understanding.

Reply 16

Chwirkytheappleboy

Original post by py0alb

If you do the maths you can calculate the temperature that would be equivalent to all particles in the system moving at the speed of light.

Really? I would have thought that you'd end up with an infinite temperature since no matter how much energy you put in you'd never be able to reach the speed of light. So plotting a graph of temperature against speed, your asymptote would be at v=c on the speed axis, and the temperature axis would just fly off into infinity