Question

I know the lowest possible temperature in nature is 0 K although we have been able to only getting ever closer and closer to it but not at 0 K.

But on the opposite spectrum of temperature, what is the highest that is achievable naturally or artificially? Is chemistry still relevant at this temperature as we know it or is it senseless to think of any typical reaction to take place.

My best guess is plasma followed by nuclear fusion as it creates heavier elements but I am not certain.

Answer 1

The highest temperatures naturally achieved are in stars, where nuclear fusion takes place at about 15 million K, causing atoms to ionize into plasma. While absolute zero is unattainable, the record for the lowest temperature created in a lab is 1.0 × 10^-10 K. Chemistry as we know it ceases to exist at the extreme temperatures required for fusion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The topic of extreme temperatures, whether the coldest or the hottest that can be achieved, is a fascinating area of study in physics. While absolute zero (0 K) is the theoretical lowest temperature where particle motion ceases, it is unattainable in practice due to the third law of thermodynamics. Laboratory experiments have achieved temperatures as low as 1.0 × 10-10 K, with the Helsinki University of Technology setting the record.

On the other end of the temperature scale, the highest temperatures can be found in nuclear reactions. Nuclear fusion, the process that powers stars and can be harnessed in thermonuclear bombs, requires temperatures of about 15 million K or more. At such extreme temperatures, traditional chemical reactions as we understand them do not occur, since all molecules dissociate into atoms, and the atoms ionize into a plasma state. In addition to nuclear weapons, humans have replicated these conditions in controlled environments like fission reactors, although achieving and maintaining such high temperatures for practical energy use remains a significant challenge.