If temperature is the measure of the speed of molecules, is there a limit to a temperature imposed by the speed of light?
2006-09-13 10:44:03 · 12 answers · asked by MoneyGuy 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
That's a very good question. I would expect the motion of individual particles to be limited by the speed of light. However, temperature is a measurement of the average energy of particle movement. The energy required to accelerate a particle approaches infinity as its velocity approaches the speed of light. So, I expect that as long as you can keep pouring energy into a chunk of matter, its temperature will increase without limit.
2006-09-13 11:17:28 · answer #1 · answered by Frank N 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance. Which is dependent on the speed and mass (KE=m*v^2/2). I'm not sure of the exact effects of relativity on this. But since the speed of light is the speed limit for matter, and temperature is velocity dependent (random motion of the individual particles, movement of a bunch of particles together doesn't count towards temperature), sure temperature is limited by the speed of light.
2006-09-13 16:26:39 · answer #2 · answered by danthemanbrunner 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Temperature is not really the measure of the 'speed' of molecules, but it does measure how much it is moving. Actually temperature is the measure of the amount of energy in something. The more the energy the more the moving. To say that moving is the same as speed though is not quite right. Speed is the moving of something in a straight line, most energized molecules do not do this, they 'knock' around moving rather chaotically.
2006-09-13 10:55:50 · answer #3 · answered by Duane L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The limit to the speed does not impose a temperature limit
2006-09-13 11:16:57 · answer #4 · answered by Dr M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no upper limit to temperature imposed by the speed of light. For instance, a plasma where the particles are moving at 99.99% c will be much hotter and able to transfer much more energy to a colder object than if the particles were moving at only 99.9% c. And 99.9999% c would really be smoking.
2006-09-13 10:55:58 · answer #5 · answered by SAN 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that would make sense alright. indeed, i you look at the conditions inside a black hole or inside the singularity that might have been there before the big bang you'll find that temperatures there are higher than they could be anywhere else in the universe because under the extreme conditions of a singularity the theory of relativity no longer applies. i guess this allows for the reverse conclusion that as long as the theory of relativity applies, temperature increase will find its natural limit in the limit to brownian motion set by the speed of light.
2006-09-13 10:55:19 · answer #6 · answered by nerdyhermione 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem I see here is that you are trying to compare physical elements (molecules) with energy (light).
Lightning, for instance, can heat the air around it to 1,000 degrees or more. The temp on the surface of the sun is millions of degrees (Farenheit).
Light from a flashlight travels at the same speed as light from the sun, but the light from the sun is much hotter, so speed of light has nothing to do with temp.
2006-09-13 10:53:10 · answer #7 · answered by no1home2day 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, not exactly. However, Quantum mechanics does place a very high limit on how hot something can get before it becomes a black hole. Since the speed of light is so inextricably linked to quantum mechanics maybe the answer is yes.
2006-09-13 11:27:56 · answer #8 · answered by bruinfan 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I do not understand the question..
Temperature has nothing to do with the speed of light..
Apples & Oranges...
2006-09-13 10:52:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
NO - the speed of light is independent of temperature.
2006-09-13 10:51:20 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋