Introduction to modern physics - FSU Physics Department

Range of temperatures
• Universe 5×10 −44 s after the Big Bang: T 1.4×10 32 K
• core of hottest stars, 410 9 K; seems maximum now
• hydrogen bomb ignites at , 410 7 K;
• interior of Sun , 1.510 6 K;
• plasma 10 5 K;
• 10 5 K : clouds of atoms, ions, e, occasional molecule;
• 5800 K: surface of the Sun; 5000 K: cool spots at surface of the
Sun; evidence for some molecules;
• 3000 K: water steam: about 1/4 of water molecules ruptured into
atoms;
• 2800 K: W light bulb filament;
• 2000 K: molten lava;
• 1520 o C: iron melts; 327 o C: lead melts;
• 100 o C (373.15 K): water boils;
• 252 K (-21.1 o C = 5.8 o F): temp. of salt-ice saltwater mix;
• 234 K: mercury freezes; 194 K: dry ice freezes;
• 77 K: nitrogen boils
• 4 K: helium boils.
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