Absolute zero--- what do you think?

Question

what do you think would happen if absolute zero (zero degrees Celsius) was reached?

some think time would stop where it was that temp, but i think it would just be very cold...

Answer 1

I must also inject here that even though all molecular motion stops at 0K, the electrons are still whizzing around each atom unabated. But to your question, temperature is the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in question. So, at temps near abs zero, there will be some particles stopped already, even momentarily. It is highly unlikely that we reach abs zero to the above definition I gave. This would mean that every single atom/molecule in that mass must be absolutely motionless. The probability of this happening is staggering low (no pun intended).

Answer 2

The physics teach is right!  Temperature is simply the measurement of the random motion of an atom and not the electrons rate of spin.  As the random motion of atoms increase, the electrons orbit farther and farther away from the nucleus.  When this happens the bond that holds multiple atoms together become weaker and solids turn to fluids, then gases, and eventually a plasma like state when the atoms are ionized and lose their electrons all together, forming alpha and beta particles.  I really don't think absolute zero is an attainable temperature.  Even the radiation from the Cosmic Microwave Background can raise the energy level of an atom to just above absolute zero.  Matter would have to be completely cut off from all outside energy in order to reach this temperature, and theoretically...this is impossible.  Even nutrinos can pass through the earth without ever striking a sinlge atomic nucleus.  Interesting huh?

Answer 3

if the universe dropped to absolute zero (CMB is ~3K), then time would have no meaning.   if everything was at equilibrium, no work could be done, stars could not shine, matter would not exist anymore and the universes temp would become 0K.  after that, there would be nothing to happen so time would be irrelevant.  

Answer 4

They have actually reached within like .3 degrees of absolute zero, i learned that in my biology class. They used like a million lasers to make it so the molecule had no where to move to. It makes no sense that time would stop, it's just that one molecule is no longer moving

Answer 5

  Absolute zero is simply the absence of heat no molecular activity.

Answer 6

Absolute zero is the point where molecules and atoms stop moving altogether. Temperature is manifest by the motion or movement of atoms and molecules, and when they stop moving, an object cannot be any colder than absolute zero. Nobody has achieved absolute zero in a laboratory yet, but scientists have come very close.

Answer 7

Absolute zero is where matter has stopped moving.  We've gotten to about a billionth of a degree Kelvin.  This is cold enough for atoms to sort of merge into Bose-Einstein condensates.  There is no evidence that time slows down at these temperatures, so there's no suggestion that time might stop.

If time and space are related, perhaps at small spacial scales, something funny happens with time.  You'd probably have to get down to Plank lengths.

Answer 8

Ok, so many dissagree but I do think at that temp, time is stopping form the matter cooled to that temperature and thats why its basically comming unglued.

Answer 9

Albert Einstein and Otto Stern suggested there is a residual energy at absolute zero which cannot be removed. This later became know as zero-point energy.

According to the theory,  the energy of an atomic system has a value of ½hν at absolute zero, where h is Planck's constant, and ν is the frequency of the harmonic vibrational energy of the system.

Zero-point energy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_...

Answer 10

Absolute zero is -273.15 degrees Celsius and -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to classical physics, all motion would cease at absolute zero; however, the quantum-mechanical uncertainty principle requires that there be a small amount of residual motion (zero-point motion) even at absolute zero. See also Kinetic theory of matter; Uncertainty principle.

Answer 11

Well actualy -273 C is absolute zero as that is 0K. well anyways we don't really know what will happen. I think that once it gets that cold nothing will happen. And in this case nothing means nothing.

Answer 12

Ok, first of all, absolute 0 is NOT 0 degrees C. Its 0 degrees K, -273 degrees C.

Second, very few people believe it will actually stop time. There is really no reason to assume that it will stop time.

I have mixed feelings over obtaining absolute 0. We have created a Bose-Einstein consendate, which is less than a thousandth of a degree from absolute 0. I don't think that we can lower the temperature of an object to a point where it is -273 degrees C.