The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-05
THE LIMIT OF COLD
Absolute Zero and the Way 1t Is
Defined by Science.
POINT OF MOLECULAR DEATH
At 1894 Degrees Below the Fahrenheit
and 273 Degrees Below the Cent?
grade Zero There is No Heat, No En-
orgy and No Motion Within Matter.

grace zorro mere 10 mo ffeat, NO En-
orgy and No Motion Within Matter.
Few people have any definite idea
OF the meaning Of absolute zero.
When temperatures or degrees of heat
are mentioned 1t Is natural for most
people to think of these degrees as
given on the household or Fahrenheit
scale, with its freezing point at 80 de-
grees and its boiling point at 212.
The space on the Fahrenheit thermom.
eter below the freezing point Of water
Is divided into thirty-two equal spaces
down TO zero. The other thermome-
ter scale in common use is the cent?
grade scale, with its boiling point at
100 degrees and its freezing point at
zero. The zero points on these two
scales are not the zero Of absolute
temperature or absolute zero, but are
only two relative points.
Temperature as used and spoken OF
In ordinary practice Is only relative
and is measured In reference to two
points-the boiling and freezing points
Of water at sea level. But science
and scientific investigation requires
another scale for Its measurements,
which has theoretically correct zero
point. This scale is called the abso-
lutte scale. with its zero point 273 de-
grees below the zero of the centigrade
scale and 459.4 degrees below that of
the Fahrenhelt zero. This is what Is
meant by the zero of absolute temper
AZURE
Absolute temperature has been de.
fined. According to science, all mat
ter is composed Of small particles or
molecules in ceaseiess vibration In the
spaces between them This molecular
motion, as II is called. Ia much greater
in gases than it is In liquids or solids.
and the ultimate particles are farther
apart. The idea of absolute zero and
the place assigned 10 it on the abso-
lutte scale is based on this property Of
matter-motion. In gaseous forms OF
matter the motion Is greater because
Of the greater space between the parti-
cles.
To illustrate the meaning of this
point and to explain how 1t was got,
imagine a volume of air Of 273 cubic
inches at the temperature of freezing
water on the centigrade scale Heat
this volume of air to l degree cent?
grade and its volume will have In
creased to 274 cubic inches, and IL
heated TO 2 degrees its volume will
be 275 cubic inches. Likewise, If the
original volume be cooled degree be-
low the freezing point of water its
volume will be decreased by one cubic
Inch and become 272 cubic inches
For every additional decrease Of ]
degree the volume viii contract one
two-hundred and seventy-third part of
what It was TO begin with, so that, IL
the cooling Is carried far enough, 1t is
easy to see that at 273 degrees below
the freezing point of water the volume
will become nothing.
The volume of gas is due to the
real volume Of its individual particles.
together with the volume of the spaces
between these particles. At ordinary
these particles are in |
swift motion. But for every degree |
Of cooling this motion is slackened. |
and the paths of vibration become |
shorter This motion continues down !
to 213 degrees below the centigrade |
zero, where the motion has entirely |
ceased and the paths OF the particles !
are infinitely short. or course the gas
under consideration at --2T3 degrees |
will have volume due to the sum of |
the volume occupied by ths molecular |
particles themselves.
This 273 degrees then is the abso-
lutte zero. 1t Is the point Of molecular
death. No heat is there. no energy
and consequently no motion. Matter
1T this point is entirely motionless
within itself.
The thermometer scales of the world
should be based on 1t as the logical
starting point The freezing point of
water, which is zero on the centIgrad
scale, referred to the absolute scale Is
-2T3 degrees. while the freezing point
Il 80 on the Fahrenheit scale Is 1894
legrees on It. The ordinary tempera-
ure of room is about 6s degrees F.,
,r 52r.4 degrees on the absolute scale.
On the same scale summer heat Is
bout 55S degrees +.
The zero Of absolute temperature
has nearly been reached In the prepa
alton of solid hydrogen gas and liquid
MI. n
lelium Zone Of the rarest Of gases is
My about 4 degrees above absolute
ero, so that the individual particles
4 liquid hellum have almost become
notionless. Probably In the near
of absolute zero this gas.
which is the only one that has not
'een solldlfied. will become solid and
epresent matter In its state of molec
lar death.-W. O. Dumas In Chicago