14.2.4—The lowest possible temperature is zero kelvin on the thermodynamic
- Syllabus
- 9702–2028–2029
- Objective
- 14.2.4
- Level
- A2
Absolute zero is zero kelvin, the lowest limit of thermodynamic temperature; it corresponds to −273.15 °C.
It is a limiting state, not simply “no motion” in every quantum description. Use it as the zero of the absolute scale.
Cooling from 300 K to 150 K halves the absolute temperature even though Celsius readings do not behave as a ratio scale.
Negative Celsius temperatures can be physically valid, but temperatures below 0 K are not reached in the ordinary thermodynamic scale.