If entropy tends to a maximum, does this mean that if all the energy in the universe was converted into heat, then the temperature of the universe would be infinite?

zbeckabee

That's a famous question that people thought a lot about in the nineteenth century. It goes under the name of the 'Heat Death of the Universe.' In short, once all of the energy in the universe is converted to heat then the universe will be in equilibrium -- everything will be of the same temperature and entropy will remain constant forever. This is complicated a bit by the fact that the universe is expanding. In an expanding universe you can never really reach equilibrium -- but the scientists of the 1800s didn't know about the expanding universe so let's just assume that the universe is static. http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae261.cfm May 30 06, 12:08 PM

peasypod

Well, if all the energy in the universe (large and finite) were converted into heat, there would be a finite temperature and it would not necessarily be large... May 30 06, 5:02 PM