What is the relationship between absolute zero, kinetic theory and the Kelvin scale?
1 Answer
Aug 1, 2014
According to Kinetic Molecular Theory, the average kinetic energy of molecules depends on the temperature.
All kinetic energy of motion supposedly ceases at absolute zero.
See How does kinetic molecular theory relate to absolute zero? and
How are absolute zero and 0 in Kelvin related?
This makes it convenient to design a temperature scale that starts at absolute zero. Nothing can be colder than absolute zero, so all temperatures on such a scale will be positive numbers.
The Kelvin scale starts at absolute zero (0 K) and has degrees that are the same size as Celsius degrees.
