Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-08-02
ABSOLUTE El0.
The Geld ~ which Particles WhOes MotioA
Constitutes Heat Arc 1t Rest.

ABSOLUTE kE0O.
The Geld st which Particles Whoss Metaoa
Constitutes Heat Are 1t Rest.
A matter Of interest In scientific cir
Giles is the experiment recently made BY
Prof. James Dewar before the Royal
Society in London. the result Of which
was the reduction of hydrogen to .
solid, by which the celebrated chemist
reached the lowest temperature ever
attained In q laboratory. In other words,
Prof. Dewar has reached q point CON.
siderably nearer what Is termed the
absolute zero" than has ever been
achieved by science. This "absoluts
zero" is to chemists what the pole Ia to
geosraphers and natualists. and while
we are getting nearer and nearer to
both. the real Significance Of reaching
the goal seems even now to be purely
matter Of speculation In the case of the
absolute zero" as we'll as that of the
North pole.
BY the absolute Zero Is meant the
lowest temperature compatible with
6eat-that point Of temperature. in fact.
at which body would be wholly de.
prived of heat and at which the particles
whose motion constitutes heat would be
at rest. This temperature is supposed
to be about -274 degrees centigrade, OF
-461 degrees Fahrenheit. The term
"heat" is here used in its scientific
sense. for as men use the word in every
day language its significance depends
on the temperature of the human body
Men call warm" everything with
temperature higher than their own, and
"cold" all those objects which have less
heat than they. In reality. however. thu
coolest body known to man II far from.
being utterly without heat. Ice. for
example. has heat, only In degree 50
much Fellow mans temperature that ona
can scarcely imagine it to be anything
but Coda term which actually i'm.
plies 4 comparatively low degree OF
heat. Accordingly, the zero Of ther-
mometers is only a conventional pon:
marking certain degree of heat. There
seems to be a point, however, where
and this joint chemists call absolute
zero.
The progress made in the direction IF
this absolute zero" is associated with
the wor kof tranforming highly vola-
tile gas like hydrogen into liquid and
from a liquid into solid, because the
process of liqefying or solidifying gases
is practically process of lowering their
Temperature. To convert gaseous hydro
gen, for example, into liquid, We place
q bulb of this gas In vessel containing
liquid air. Then by exhausting the air
30 as to make 1t evaporate We lower the
temperature of the bulb. until Its con-
tents pass from gaseous into liquid
state. When We put some alcohol on
the palm of the hand the evaporation OF
the alcohol makes our hand cold. This
is due to the fact that In evaporating
the alcohol needs heat to separate its
particles and to reduce 1t from our hand.
In a like manner the evaporation OF
the liquid air in the vessels robs the
hydrogen of the bulb of a considerable
quantity of its heat, lowering its tenn
perature until it becomes liquid, just
as yapor assumes the form of water
when the surrounding temperature Is
considerably lowered.
Helium is the name Of newly discov-
cred chemical element which Is even
more volatile than hydrogen, and Prof.
Dewar says that by using hydrogen, IN
LIQUID or solid form, as cooling agent
we ought to be able to liQuefy this gas
in the same manner as hydrogen 70
liquefied by means Of liquid air. This
would bring US to boiling point abou!
four or five degrees above absolute zero.
Thus, even liquid helium (were the
production of such substance within
our means) would not be enough to
reach the absolute Zero" Another gas
would have to be found, still more vola-
tile than helium, in order that the lique-
flying of that gas, with liquid helium for
cooling agent, might bring US to the
desideratum of scientific chemists.
This SUBJECT was discussed recently In
an interview by DR.. Robert Huebner,
we'll known chemist and bactepiologist.
"If the whole world were at absolute
zero the whole world would be dead
he said. Life and all the forces and
manifestations Of life mean motion. Can
you imagine existence without motion!
But then why give so much latitude to
ones Imagination? Prot. Dewar Is no
deamer. He is scientist. and ne likes
to have hard ground to tread upon. The
nearer we get to absolute zero the more
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