When something reaches absolute Zero, do all of its molecules stop moving?


Hi Kevin,

Even when a substance is cooled till it reaches absolute zero, its
molecules each have a small amount of energy which cannot be taken
out. This energy is often called the zero point energy.

The reason the last bit of energy stays is that the electrons in the
molecules cannot ever be tied down. The theory of Why Things Can
Never Sit Still In One Place is called Quantum Mechanics, and is one
of the strangest and most wonderful insights we have yet into the
workings of the universe.

Best wishes,
-Neal.


Back to the Ask An Astronomer page.