The discussion centers on the concept of temperature in relation to atoms and their subatomic particles, exploring whether an individual atom can possess its own temperature defined by the kinetic energy of its constituents. The scope includes theoretical considerations and conceptual clarifications regarding temperature at the atomic scale.
Participants express differing views on the definition and applicability of temperature at the atomic level, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a consensus.
The discussion highlights limitations in defining temperature at the atomic scale, particularly regarding the influence of quantum mechanics on energy states and the implications for statistical mechanics.
The problem is that the energies of the nucleons in the nucleus and of the electrons around the nucleus, are subject to quantum mechanical laws. They have discrete energies rather than random energies. It is not analagous to a large collection of molecules moving randomly with a continuous energy spectrum over a broad range.nolanp2 said:for a monatomic gas the temperature can be described as the sum of kinetic energy of the individual atoms. but what i wonder is can an atom have it's own temperature, defined as the sum of the kinetic energy of the sub atomic particles which make it?