Temperature in a Vacuum? Relevant?

Question

Is temperature a relevant property for a vacuum? If a thermometer is placed into an evacuated chamber, will it just stay at the same temperature as when in was inserted? (i.e. Take a thermometer from room temp, say 25C, and put in vacuum, will it stay at 25C? Take a thermometer from a freezer, say -5C, and put it in the same vacuum chamber, will it also stay at current temp,-5C?) If temperature is a relevant property in a vacuum, what is it measuring the temperature of?

Answer 1

"Temperature" is the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a substance.
In the case of using a thermometer to measure temperature, the temperature of the thermometer is what is actually being seen in the measurement, we just assume that it has come to thermal equailibrium (no net flow of heat energy) with the surroundings.

Since a vacuum is totally empty (i.e. no particles), a vacuum does not have a temperature by definition.

If we also assume this vacuum system is isolated from the rest of the universe and that the walls are perfect reflectors, then the temperature reading on the thermometer will not change when placed into a vacuum....but remember the conditions which we just had to apply.
There are 3 methods in which heat [energy] is transfered, through conduction, convection, and radiation. In a vacuum, conduction and convection are inappliacble in terms of carrying heat away from the thermometer (or to the thermometer). However, radiation is still quite possible, and likely. The thermometer will emmit Infra red radiation in the form of photons of light which will carry away heat energy from the thermometer (lowering its temperature). Likewise, if we allow any other EM radiation to some into the box, it may increase the heat energy of the thermometer (and raise its temperature). If we assume the box is isolated and its walls are perfect reflectors (which will refrlect 100% of any EM radiation the thermometer emmits back), then the thermometer's heat energy should remain constant as will its temperature.

Answer 2

Temperature is a property of matter, for example air temperature or water temperature. A thermometer really only measures the temperature of the thermometer. If you want to measure the temperature of a pool, you immerse the thermometer in the pool water and heat is transferred from the water to the thermometer or from the thermometer to the water, depending on which is initially warmer, until both are at the same temperature, then the thermometer reading stops changing and you read the result.

In a vacuum there is no conduction, but there is radiation. In a vacuum chamber the thermometer would exchange heat with the chamber walls by radiation until the both reached the same temperature. So a thermometer in a vacuum chamber would read the temperature of the walls, even if it never touched them.

Answer 3

No temperature in a vacuum. Because there is nothing in there to HAVE any temperature. I would think the thermometer would tend to stay at the same temp as when it was inserted. Vacuum is used as an insulator in thermos bottles and such.

Answer 4

hi craig
so you think a lot about physics
there are three modes of heat transfer
conduction
convection
raadiation
you are forgetting the third one boy in vaccum a thing looses or gains heat by only that mode.
so if you place a thermometer in a vaccum and blacken its bulb and place it in sunlight then the temprature will rise. however as joe said the concept of vaccum is used in thermos flasks, because the heat transfer is minimal of all in vaccum

Answer 5

this question is purely too uncomplicated. it would remember upon the detrimental pressures the vaccuum created, the dimensions of the orifices the oil become being evacuated from, and a definite quantity of oil, alongside with a particular ambient temperature.