Zero Degrees Kelvin

This past week there was an article about scientists demonstrating a negative temperature in an experiment. Here’s the article - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/absolute-zero-record-setting-negative-temperature_n_2404666.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false.

A little background first – we usually think of temperature as a measure of hotness or coldness. It some ways it may be more accurate to say that temperature measures the amount of movement and interaction of molecules. If there’s no movement there’s no interaction. But when there is movement, there is interaction and every interaction involves a release of some energy as heat. Where there is absolutely no movement that is considered zero degrees Kelvin, where Kelvin comes from the scientist Lord Kelvin. The Kelvin scale and Celsius scale are closely tied where every 1 degree equates to 1 degree Kelvin, the different is that Celsius was meant to be more convenient and relatable to everyday interactions. Hence 0 degrees Celsius is the temperature at which water freezes or goes between solid and liquid, and 100 degrees Celsius is the temperature at which water changes between liquid and gas. Minus 273.15 degrees Celsius is equivalent to 0 degrees Kelvin.

As I’ve read more, like many topics, there are layers. Like when we learn physics equations seem in pure form, and then we learn about friction and other small factors that turn simple equations into complex formulas. The simple equations demonstrate the concepts which the full-blown equations are needed for more detailed areas. Temperature is like that as well where 0 degrees Kelvin is no translational movement in the classical model. Now I’m not sure what the classical model is, but there are clearly other dimensions of this.

Now the experiment used precise fields of lasers and magnetics to align molecules and generate a new energy state. This also begs the question – are our ideas of temperature wrong? Or need adjustment? And what about forces.

As I thought about this, I also wondered about force. There are four types of forces – gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and strong nuclear. The weak nuclear and strong nuclear are present within the nucleus of an atom. Gravity is an attraction between matter, and electromagnetic that is everywhere. Scientists don’t fully understand the mechanisms of these forces – how they work, how they exist, but clearly they do. Is it possible to have no movement or no energy while these forces exist? How is it that a single molecule could have no movement and no energy – after all it have the energy of the weak nuclear and strong nuclear force to hold it together? Or how is it that two molecules could remain completely stationary given there is a gravitational field between them?

I have no answers, only a curious mind that was blown open by this article and the idea of temperature loops and ‘negative’ temperatures. Science continues to amaze me!