Absolute zero as defined. Absolute zero: history of discovery and main application

Absolute zero corresponds to a temperature of −273.15 °C.

It is believed that absolute zero is unattainable in practice. Its existence and position on the temperature scale follows from extrapolation of observed physical phenomena, and such extrapolation shows that at absolute zero the energy of thermal motion of molecules and atoms of a substance should be equal to zero, that is, the chaotic movement of particles stops, and they form an ordered structure, occupying clear position in the nodes of the crystal lattice. However, in fact, even at absolute zero temperature, the regular movements of the particles that make up matter will remain. The remaining oscillations, such as zero-point oscillations, are due to the quantum properties of the particles and the physical vacuum that surrounds them.

At present, in physical laboratories it has been possible to obtain temperatures exceeding absolute zero by only a few millionths of a degree; to achieve it itself, according to the laws of thermodynamics, is impossible.

Notes

Literature

  • G. Burmin. Assault on absolute zero. - M.: “Children’s Literature”, 1983.

see also

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Absolute Zero” is in other dictionaries:

    ABSOLUTE ZERO, the temperature at which all components of the system have the least amount of energy allowed by the laws of QUANTUM MECHANICS; zero on the Kelvin temperature scale, or 273.15°C (459.67° Fahrenheit). At this temperature... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

    Temperature is the minimum limit of temperature that a physical body can have. Absolute zero serves as the starting point for an absolute temperature scale, such as the Kelvin scale. On the Celsius scale, absolute zero corresponds to a temperature of −273 ... Wikipedia

    ABSOLUTE ZERO TEMPERATURE- the beginning of the thermodynamic temperature scale; located at 273.16 K (Kelvin) below (see) water, i.e. equal to 273.16°C (Celsius). Absolute zero is the lowest temperature in nature and practically unattainable... Big Polytechnic Encyclopedia

    This is the minimum temperature limit that a physical body can have. Absolute zero serves as the starting point for an absolute temperature scale, such as the Kelvin scale. On the Celsius scale, absolute zero corresponds to a temperature of −273.15 °C.... ... Wikipedia

    Absolute zero temperature is the minimum temperature limit that a physical body can have. Absolute zero serves as the starting point for an absolute temperature scale, such as the Kelvin scale. On the Celsius scale, absolute zero corresponds to... ... Wikipedia

    Razg. Neglected An insignificant, insignificant person. FSRY, 288; BTS, 24; ZS 1996, 33 ...

    zero- absolute zero … Dictionary of Russian Idioms

    Zero and zero noun, m., used. compare often Morphology: (no) what? zero and zero, why? zero and zero, (see) what? zero and zero, what? zero and zero, what about? about zero, zero; pl. What? zeros and zeros, (no) what? zeros and zeros, why? zeros and zeros, (I see)… … Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary

    Absolute zero (zero). Razg. Neglected An insignificant, insignificant person. FSRY, 288; BTS, 24; ZS 1996, 33 V zero. 1. Jarg. they say Joking. iron. About severe intoxication. Yuganovs, 471; Vakhitov 2003, 22. 2. Zharg. music Exactly, in full accordance with... ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings

    absolute- absolute absurdity, absolute authority, absolute impeccability, absolute disorder, absolute fiction, absolute immunity, absolute leader, absolute minimum, absolute monarch, absolute morality, absolute zero… … Dictionary of Russian Idioms

Books

  • Absolute zero, Absolute Pavel. The life of all the creations of the mad scientist of the Nes race is very short. But the next experiment has a chance to exist. What awaits him ahead?...

Have you ever thought about how low the temperature can be? What is absolute zero? Will humanity ever be able to achieve it and what opportunities will open up after such a discovery? These and other similar questions have long occupied the minds of many physicists and simply curious people.

What is absolute zero

Even if you didn’t like physics since childhood, you are probably familiar with the concept of temperature. Thanks to the molecular kinetic theory, we now know that there is a certain static connection between it and the movements of molecules and atoms: the higher the temperature of any physical body, the faster its atoms move, and vice versa. The question arises: “Is there such a lower limit at which elementary particles will freeze in place?” Scientists believe that this is theoretically possible; the thermometer will be at -273.15 degrees Celsius. This value is called absolute zero. In other words, this is the minimum possible limit to which a physical body can be cooled. There is even an absolute temperature scale (Kelvin scale), in which absolute zero is the reference point, and the unit division of the scale is equal to one degree. Scientists around the world do not stop working to achieve this value, as this promises enormous prospects for humanity.

Why is this so important

Extremely low and extremely high temperatures are closely related to the concepts of superfluidity and superconductivity. The disappearance of electrical resistance in superconductors will make it possible to achieve unimaginable efficiency values ​​and eliminate any energy losses. If we could find a way that would allow us to freely reach the value of “absolute zero,” many of humanity’s problems would be solved. Trains hovering above the rails, lighter and smaller engines, transformers and generators, high-precision magnetoencephalography, high-precision watches - these are just a few examples of what superconductivity can bring to our lives.

Latest Scientific Advances

In September 2003, researchers from MIT and NASA were able to cool sodium gas to a record low. During the experiment, they were only half a billionth of a degree short of the finish line (absolute zero). During the tests, the sodium was constantly in a magnetic field, which kept it from touching the walls of the container. If it were possible to overcome the temperature barrier, molecular motion in the gas would completely stop, because such cooling would extract all the energy from the sodium. The researchers used a technique whose author (Wolfgang Ketterle) received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001. The key point in the tests was the gas processes of Bose-Einstein condensation. Meanwhile, no one has yet canceled the third law of thermodynamics, according to which absolute zero is not only an insurmountable, but also an unattainable value. In addition, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle applies, and atoms simply cannot stop dead in their tracks. Thus, for now, absolute zero temperature remains unattainable for science, although scientists have been able to approach it to a negligible distance.

Absolute zero corresponds to a temperature of −273.15 °C.

It is believed that absolute zero is unattainable in practice. Its existence and position on the temperature scale follows from extrapolation of observed physical phenomena, and such extrapolation shows that at absolute zero the energy of thermal motion of molecules and atoms of a substance should be equal to zero, that is, the chaotic movement of particles stops, and they form an ordered structure, occupying clear position in the nodes of the crystal lattice. However, in fact, even at absolute zero temperature, the regular movements of the particles that make up matter will remain. The remaining oscillations, such as zero-point oscillations, are due to the quantum properties of the particles and the physical vacuum that surrounds them.

At present, in physical laboratories it has been possible to obtain temperatures exceeding absolute zero by only a few millionths of a degree; to achieve it itself, according to the laws of thermodynamics, is impossible.

Notes

Literature

  • G. Burmin. Assault on absolute zero. - M.: “Children’s Literature”, 1983.

see also

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Synonyms:

See what “Absolute zero” is in other dictionaries:

    Temperatures, the origin of temperature on the thermodynamic temperature scale (see THERMODYNAMIC TEMPERATURE SCALE). Absolute zero is located 273.16 °C below the temperature of the triple point (see TRIPLE POINT) of water, for which it is accepted ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    Temperatures, the origin of temperature on the thermodynamic temperature scale. Absolute zero is located 273.16°C below the triple point temperature of water (0.01°C). Absolute zero is fundamentally unattainable, temperatures have almost been reached... ... Modern encyclopedia

    Temperatures is the starting point for temperature on the thermodynamic temperature scale. Absolute zero is located at 273.16.C below the temperature of the triple point of water, for which the value is 0.01.C. Absolute zero is fundamentally unattainable (see... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    Temperature, which expresses the absence of heat, is equal to 218° C. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F., 1907. absolute zero temperature (physical) - the lowest possible temperature (273.15°C). Big dictionary... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

    absolute zero- The extremely low temperature at which the thermal movement of molecules stops; on the Kelvin scale, absolute zero (0°K) corresponds to –273.16±0.01°C... Dictionary of Geography

    Noun, number of synonyms: 15 round zero (8) small man (32) small fry ... Synonym dictionary

    The extremely low temperature at which the thermal movement of molecules stops. The pressure and volume of an ideal gas, according to Boyle-Mariotte’s law, becomes equal to zero, and the beginning of the absolute temperature on the Kelvin scale is taken to be... ... Ecological dictionary

    absolute zero- - [A.S. Goldberg. English-Russian energy dictionary. 2006] Energy topics in general EN zeropoint ... Technical Translator's Guide

    The beginning of the absolute temperature reference. Corresponds to 273.16° C. Currently, in physical laboratories it has been possible to obtain a temperature exceeding absolute zero by only a few millionths of a degree, and to achieve it, according to the laws... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

    absolute zero- absoliutusis nulis statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Termodinaminės temperatūros atskaitos pradžia, esanti 273.16 K žemiau vandens trigubojo taško. Tai 273.16 °C, 459.69 °F arba 0 K temperatūra. atitikmenys: engl.… … Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

    absolute zero- absoliutusis nulis statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Kelvino skalės nulis (−273.16 °C). atitikmenys: engl. absolute zero rus. absolute zero... Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

Absolute zero temperatures

Absolute zero temperature- this is the minimum temperature limit that a physical body can have. Absolute zero serves as the origin of an absolute temperature scale, such as the Kelvin scale. On the Celsius scale, absolute zero corresponds to a temperature of −273.15 °C.

It is believed that absolute zero is unattainable in practice. Its existence and position on the temperature scale follows from extrapolation of observed physical phenomena, and such extrapolation shows that at absolute zero the energy of thermal motion of molecules and atoms of a substance should be equal to zero, that is, the chaotic movement of particles stops, and they form an ordered structure, occupying clear position in the nodes of the crystal lattice. However, in fact, even at absolute zero temperature, the regular movements of the particles that make up matter will remain. The remaining oscillations, such as zero-point oscillations, are due to the quantum properties of the particles and the physical vacuum that surrounds them.

At present, in physical laboratories it has been possible to obtain temperatures exceeding absolute zero by only a few millionths of a degree; to achieve it itself, according to the laws of thermodynamics, is impossible.

Notes

Literature

  • G. Burmin. Assault on absolute zero. - M.: “Children’s Literature”, 1983.

see also

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

  • Absolute zero temperature
  • Absolute zero temperature

See what “Absolute zero temperature” is in other dictionaries:

    Absolute zero temperature- Absolute zero temperature is the minimum temperature limit that a physical body can have. Absolute zero serves as the starting point for an absolute temperature scale, such as the Kelvin scale. On the Celsius scale, absolute zero corresponds to... ... Wikipedia

    ABSOLUTE ZERO- ABSOLUTE ZERO, the temperature at which all components of the system have the least amount of energy allowed by the laws of QUANTUM MECHANICS; zero on the Kelvin temperature scale, or 273.15°C (459.67° Fahrenheit). At this temperature... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

    Absolute temperature scale

    Absolute thermodynamic temperature- Chaotic thermal movement on the plane of gas particles such as atoms and molecules There are two definitions of temperature. One from a molecular kinetic point of view, the other from a thermodynamic point of view. Temperature (from Latin temperatura proper ... ... Wikipedia

    Absolute temperature scale- Chaotic thermal movement on the plane of gas particles such as atoms and molecules There are two definitions of temperature. One from a molecular kinetic point of view, the other from a thermodynamic point of view. Temperature (from Latin temperatura proper ... ... Wikipedia

The physical concept of “absolute zero temperature” is very important for modern science: it is closely related to such a concept as superconductivity, the discovery of which created a real sensation in the second half of the twentieth century.

To understand what absolute zero is, you should turn to the works of such famous physicists as G. Fahrenheit, A. Celsius, J. Gay-Lussac and W. Thomson. They played a key role in the creation of the main temperature scales still in use today.

The first to propose his temperature scale was the German physicist G. Fahrenheit in 1714. At the same time, the temperature of the mixture, which included snow and ammonia, was taken as absolute zero, that is, as the lowest point of this scale. The next important indicator was which became equal to 1000. Accordingly, each division of this scale was called “degree Fahrenheit”, and the scale itself was called “Fahrenheit scale”.

30 years later, the Swedish astronomer A. Celsius proposed his own temperature scale, where the main points were the melting temperature of ice and water. This scale was called the “Celsius scale”; it is still popular in most countries of the world, including Russia.

In 1802, while conducting his famous experiments, the French scientist J. Gay-Lussac discovered that the volume of a gas at constant pressure is directly dependent on temperature. But the most curious thing was that when the temperature changed by 10 Celsius, the volume of gas increased or decreased by the same amount. Having made the necessary calculations, Gay-Lussac found that this value was equal to 1/273 of the volume of the gas at a temperature of 0C.

This law led to the obvious conclusion: a temperature equal to -2730C is the lowest temperature, even if you come close to it, it is impossible to achieve it. It is this temperature that is called “absolute zero temperature.”

Moreover, absolute zero became the starting point for the creation of the absolute temperature scale, in which the English physicist W. Thomson, also known as Lord Kelvin, took an active part.

His main research concerned proving that no body in nature can be cooled below absolute zero. At the same time, he actively used the second one; therefore, the absolute temperature scale he introduced in 1848 began to be called the thermodynamic or “Kelvin scale.”

In subsequent years and decades, there was only a numerical clarification of the concept of “absolute zero”, which, after numerous agreements, began to be considered equal to -273.150C.

It is also worth noting that absolute zero plays a very important role in The whole point is that in 1960, at the next General Conference on Weights and Measures, the unit of thermodynamic temperature - the kelvin - became one of the six basic units of measurement. At the same time, it was specially stipulated that one degree Kelvin is numerically equal to one, but the reference point “according to Kelvin” is usually considered to be absolute zero, that is, -273.150C.

The main physical meaning of absolute zero is that, according to the basic physical laws, at such a temperature the energy of motion of elementary particles, such as atoms and molecules, is zero, and in this case any chaotic movement of these same particles should cease. At a temperature equal to absolute zero, atoms and molecules must take a clear position at the main points of the crystal lattice, forming an ordered system.

Nowadays, using special equipment, scientists have been able to obtain temperatures that are only a few parts per million above absolute zero. It is physically impossible to achieve this value itself due to the second law of thermodynamics described above.