if there's absolute zero, is there also a limitation to greatest temperature?

Question

absolute zero is 0 K(Kelvin), what could be the highest possible temperature?

Answer 1

This is a controversial and delicate topic. It's sometimes called the "fourth law" of thermodynamic by its proponents. You will find a detailed discussion of the subject in a short article I posted a couple of years ago (see first link below).

As explained in that article, two famous proposal for upper bounds on temperature are no longer considered to have any merits (34,423,000,000 K by Rocard in 1952 and 2000,000,000,000 K by Huang et al. in the early 1970s).

The "natural unit of temperature" (Planck's temperature) is 21 orders of magnitudes higher than Rocard's temperature. It may or may not be an upper limit for temperature... We simply don't know enough about the laws of nature at such huge energies to be in a position to answer that question.

The second link below points to an expression of the surface temperature of a black hole (the smaller the hotter) which is inversely proportional to its mass. However, this expression was obtained only for masses comfortably above the Planck mass (to avoid treating the entire black hole as a quantum object, which nobody knows how to do reliably).

The formula may or may not be somewhat valid for much lower masses. So, it's still possible that the correct order of magnitude for an absolute upper bound of temperature would be obtained from that formula by putting M equal to the yet-to-be-determined smallest possible mass of a black hole. For example, M might be the mass of a single electron. Such a tiny black hole would not evaporate in spite of its huge "effective temperature" simply because there's no way for its electric charge to disappear or get transferred to a body of lesser mass (the electron being the lightest charged particle).

At this point, we've already entered the realm of unknown physical laws (quantum gravity). Everything is thus highly speculative, but it can still be fun to speculate...

For the record, if the aforementioned "classical" formula remains valid for such a low mass (a big "if") then a Schwarzschild blackhole having the same mass as an electron would have an horizon temperature of about

2.7 10^53 K

A "better" figure might involve the 1965 formulas for a Kerr-Newman black hole (a rotating charged black hole endowed with the same gyromagnetic ratio as an electron).

Answer 2

Absolute zero would be represented by a total lack of any motion by molecules. This condition has never been attained by our science. There's good reason to believe that even in the deepest, emptiest regions of space absolute zero has never been reached either. This is because the entire universe is literally filled with the leftover temperature of the Big Bang that created the universe. This temperature is called the cosmic microwave background radiation and is -454 degrees Fahrenheit.

The highest temperature that's ever occurred in our universe is believed to be somewhat higher than 1.8^13 degrees Fahrenheit. This happened at the instant of the Big Bang.

Answer 3

At the abosolute temperature energy of zero degree Kelvin the atoms will be so compressed by electroastatic gravity that they will have no more space to ocuppy. And their structural space will be minimal. The Atoms will exist in a state of minimal mass with its electron structure moving at the speed of light.

When the degree of temperature energy is increased,the folowing happens;
The velocity of the electrons in their atomic structure decrease while its mass increase along with their orbital radii.
When this occurs the atoms occupy more and more volume of space.Till there is a change of phase. The atoms goes thru differents stages of state untill a maximal temperature is reached, the mass structure is now called "Plasma."
When this occurs the atoms have dissipated most of their outer electrons;the result is ionized atoms.

Temperature is a measure of energy content per atomic volume. It is measured in degrees kelvin.

When an atom has completley disasociated its structural energy contents ,it becomes Entropy,which is energy which has been dissipated out of the atomic structure and is now permeating the surrounding space of the Universe.

If all the atomic mass structural energy in the Universe would break up into basic components the Temperature energy would be calculated in the order of 2x 10^96 k. This would be the aprox maximal temperature of the Universe.

Answer 4

Absolute zero is not the lowest possible temperature. Absolute zero is simply where all particles stop moving. In solids at temperatures higher than absolute zero, the particles inside are vibrating. Therefore, it is possible (but not practical) to reduce temperature infinitely and increase temperature infinitely.

Answer 5

At 0 K matter as we know it ceases to exist. Elements cannot exist if the electrons cannot form shells to allow bonding to other atoms.
At sufficiently high temperatures atoms again cease to exist as they are stripped down to very high energy quarks.

Answer 6

Maybe there is a limmit perhate 10^50 degree

Answer 7

hi.................
absolute means it can work in both positive & negative side.
for example-: computer can work at absolute 273 degree.
means it oprate between +273 degree to -273 degree celsius.

Answer 8

no limit (theoritically)