Temperature Explorer
Feel the full range of temperature on a logarithmic thermometer — from absolute zero (0 K) to the Planck temperature (1.4×10³² K). The Sun's core is 15.7 million K; the cosmic microwave background is just 2.7 K.
About the same as Room temperature.
The logarithmic thermometer
Absolute zero
0 KThe coldest possible temperature, where thermal motion reaches its theoretical minimum. Unreachable in practice.
SourceAbout this explorer
Temperature spans an almost unimaginable range. To show it on one screen we use a logarithmic thermometer: each step up the axis is a tenfold jump in kelvin. That lets the freezing point of water, the surface of the Sun and a quark-gluon plasma all share the same picture. Type any temperature in °C, °F or K and see where it lands — and how many times hotter or colder it is than familiar landmarks.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the scale logarithmic?
Real temperatures range from 0 K to over 10³² K. On a linear scale, everything below a billion kelvin would be crushed into a single invisible line. A logarithmic axis gives each order of magnitude equal space, so cold and hot extremes can be compared on one screen.
What is absolute zero?
Absolute zero is 0 K (−273.15 °C, −459.67 °F), the lowest possible temperature where thermal motion is at its minimum. It can be approached but never reached, which is why it sits at the very bottom of the thermometer.
What is the Planck temperature?
The Planck temperature, about 1.4×10³² K, is the highest temperature at which our current laws of physics are believed to apply. Beyond it, a quantum theory of gravity would be needed to describe matter.
How do you convert between °C, °F and K?
Kelvin and Celsius share the same step size, offset by 273.15 (K = °C + 273.15). Fahrenheit uses a different scale: °F = °C × 9/5 + 32. This explorer normalizes every input to kelvin and shows all three.
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