I Didn’t Know That...

Q: If there is an absolute zero, below which temperatures cannot drop, is there also an absolute maximum temperature?

A: Surprisingly, yes, according to chemist Robert L. Wolke, author of “What Einstein Told His Barber.” Temperature is a measure of the motion of molecules: the faster an atom or molecule is moving, the higher its temperature. Absolute zero is the point at which all motion ceases. As more energy is placed into an object, its molecules move faster and faster. Eventually, solids turn to liquids, liquids turn to gases and molecules break down into atoms. At still higher temperatures, such as those in the interiors of stars, the atoms break down into elementary particles. More energy makes those particles move ever faster. But according to the theory of relativity, no object can go faster than the speed of light, so that provides a temperature ceiling. Physicists calculate that maximum to be 140,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 degrees--Fahrenheit or Centigrade, take your pick.