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Chemistry and Physics - How Is ''Absolute Zero" Defined?
How is ''absolute zero" defined?
Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature at which matter can exist; it is also described as the theoretical temperature at which a substance has no thermal (heat) energy. This value was originally designated for the temperature at which an ideal gas (a gas on which no external force is exerted), at constant pressure, would shrink to zero volume (the amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object). Absolute zero is of great significance in thermodynamics, the branch of physics that deals with the relationship between heat and energy. Absolute zero is equivalent to 0° Kelvin, -459.67° Fahrenheit, or -273.15° Celsius.
The speed at which the molecules (particles made by the combination of two or more atoms) of a substance are moving determines the temperature of that substance. The faster the molecules move, the more frequently they collide, the greater volume they...
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