Is there an opposite of absolute zero? Is there a point where a thing can't get any hotter?

Answer 1

There is no limit as far as we know. The temperature of a substance is determined by the average kinetic energy of the atoms (or other particles) it is made of. While the velocity of llight is a limit to the velocity, the kinetic energy is not bounded as the speed approaches that of light. So the possible temperatues have no upper limit.

Answer 2

I'm going to have to say no. As things get hotter, their atoms get faster and really, there is no know limit to atomic speeds. I saw an answer that said it had to stop at the speed of light but that isn't true in the least. If you can get something that hot, there is no limit to it.

However, absoulte zero is the point at which all matter stops moving on the atomic level. So, in that sense, there is no such thing as an opposite since that would mean a point at which...what?

It is somewhat of an awkward question. But again, I say no.

Answer 3

Well if you think about it for a bit there is no Min temp an object can get because it can always have less heat.
.1degreesC
.01degreesC
on and on
and it goes the other way also. Absolute Zero is one of thouse things that man makes up but doesnt really exist unless you can find me a total vaccumm that isnt influenced by gravity/EMfiels. The amount of energy it takes to heat something up incresses with the more hotter it gets so there is probably a point where you would have to use more energy then the universe has if thats possible... So that would probably be the point where a thing cant get any hotter.

Answer 4

Theoretically, it can't get any hotter when all the energy in the universe is converted to heat and concentrated on one point. But the answer is 'no'. Cause, what are the chances of that and is there truly an upper bound to the amount of energy in the universe?

Answer 5

answer is yes. temperature(in kelvin scale) is defined as rate of change of energy absorbed with entropy(disorder of the system). in macroscopic world always we see that addition of energy increases disorder(atoms move more randomly when we heat them). so temperature by the above definition will be positive. but in quantum systems we can have no change in entropy with addition or removal of energy. that is temperature turns out to be + or - infinity.

an example is collection of electrons in a magnetic field. electrons can have only two energies possible. a high energy state(called up spin state) and a low energy state(down spin state). the system has the lowest energy when all electrons are in down state. this corresponds to temperature +0. system has the highest energy(the point where it cant get any hotter) when all electrons are in up state. this corresponds to -0. you don't have to bother much about how i got the values +0 and -0. these are obtained mathematically if you use the definition of temperature given above.

as you give heat to the system, temperature changes as follows
+0,+1,+2 .......+infinity, -infinity,.....-2,-1,-0
with -0 being the hottest. (here don't confuse the negative temperatures with the negative values we see in Celsius or Fahrenheit which all turns out to be positive in kelvin scale)

you can read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_temperature

Answer 6

Heat is generated by the motion of atoms. The highest possible attainable speed is the speed of light. So yes, there is an upper limit to heat for any given substance. But that limit will vary with the mass of the substance. Accelerate a hydrogen atom and you get less kinetic energy delivered than if you accelerate a uranium atom.

Answer 7

There is no cutoff like absolute zero, but for high enough temperatures atoms break apart into a plasma (individual particles). That is, there is a practical limit rather than a theoretical limit.

Answer 8

There Is no Limit for Temp. in both Direction of 0°C
(As it is described in earlier Ans. ie. 1, 0.1 , 0.001 , 0.000001............etc)
If there is,than it is possible to make perfect MACHINE (100%Eff.)
We know it is not (possible).and it'll also disturb rules and Laws of thermodynamics.
If any absolute zero(If you think) exist than There is a possibility for the Limit to highest Temp. also.

That's I think

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamic_temperature


Absolute zero is theoretical as it is. Although scientists have come very very very close to reaching absolute zero, they haven't actually achieved it, although the fact that they haven't been able to get anything lower than the currently defined absolute zero seems to prove that they're right.

There may or may not be an upper limit for temperature, but the energy requirement to prove it would be, literally, astronomical...

Answer 10

there is no end to the high point of the temperature scale, but matter tends to get outside of a definable material (ie solid, liquid, gas, or even plasma) but the heat can rise if the energy can rise, and since (in theory) at absolute zero, there is no energy, therefore no movement, and hence no heat