Absolute Zero

Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature that a substance can have and is the point at which the molecules do not move other than very slight movement required by quantum mechanics. The exact temperature of absolute zero is 0 degrees Kelvin and -273.15 on the Celsius scale and -459.67 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale. Scientists have been able to get things very close to absolute zero and have observed effects like superconductivity and superfluidity.

Many scientists are interested in the development of new alloys that could possibly exhibit the effects of superconductivity at regular room temperatures, but have not reached that goal. If substances could superconduct at normal temperatures, then the transmission of power might become much more efficient and computers might be able to work much more quickly.

Scientists have been able to create a "super atom" by using optical techniques that traps thousands of tiny particles and chills them into a self-contained blob. The individual atomic motion stops and the blob acts more like one unit. The blob is called a Bose-Einstein condensate or BBC. The research continues and the applications are just waiting for researchers to figure out how to apply the technology.

There are facilities around the country that use extremely low temperatures to make metals harder or even to make golf balls fly greater distances. It has been shown that placing golf balls at near absolute temperatures for several hours somehow gives them a bit more zip when hit with a golf club. It also can make the edge of a knife or sword harder after supercold temperature exposure. The exact reasons for this are not known.

If a liquid that is cooled near absolute zero and is still a liquid is placed into a glass, it tries to climb the inside of the glass and over the rim and out of the glass. It literally pours itself out of the container. Special containers are used that have a curve toward the inside of the container at the top, so that such a liquid can fall back into the container that it is trying to get out of and this is called superfluidity. Magnets can hover just above the surface of a liquid that is near absolute zero.

The ancient sword makers knew that heating and cooling of metals could make them stronger, but now we can make them much cooler and much hotter than could ever be imagined when swords were first forged. We do use supercooled liquids today in many laboratories. If you visit a science museum they sometimes do demonstrations with gasses that have been cooled to the point that they become liquids. A flower dipped into such a liquid will become brittle and break when smashed on a table. Such liquids however are still quite a bit hotter than absolute zero.