Question

Why can't a gas reach absolute 0?

Answer 1

What state is a gas in at absolute 0?

Answer 2

@Kainui

Answer 3

Well, what is absolute zero?

Answer 4

A temperature (-273.15 degrees K) at which KE and velocity is 0 of particles in other words no motion at all or interactions.

Answer 5

I meant degrees celcius*

Answer 6

So what is a gas? What makes it different from a fluid or solid?

Answer 7

A gas is a physical state of particles in which little to no attractions between them occur, yet the particles vibrate, rotate and translate over a surface area.

Answer 8

Alright, so it seems to me that by definition gas molecules are vibrating and moving while absolute zero is no movement. I don't think it's possible to be both moving and not moving at the same time, is it?

Generally when I think of different states I think:

Solids don't have enough energy for the molecules and atoms in them to move past each other.

Liquids have enough energy for the particles to slide around and past each other, but they're still touching one another and unable to escape clumping together.

Gases have even more energy than liquids that they aren't even attracted to one another since their kinetic energy is much stronger than the electrostatic interactions with others, so even if they're near another particle, they'll either just run past them or bounce off.

Answer 9

Aren't there strong electrostatic attractive forces between solid particles?

Answer 10

Yes there are. =)

When I say they don't have enough energy for the molecules or atoms to move past each other, what I mean specifically is that they don't have enough kinetic energy to overcome the very strong electrostatic forces binding them in place.

Answer 11

Oh ok

Answer 12

That makes sense that way.

Answer 13

I still don't get the answer to my question?

Answer 14

Absolute zero is completely still. Since temperature is just average kinetic energy of the particles, then particles that aren't moving are at absolute zero. In order to be a gas, the molecules have to have a lot of kinetic energy, so much so that they can fly past each other and bounce off each other. In reality, nothing has ever been observed at absolute zero, but just like an ice cube is a solid, the colder you get, the less movement you have.

Answer 15

Oh a gas needs energy to exist thanks :)

Answer 16

One more explanation is that, according to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, you cannot know at the same time the position and the speed of an object. However, when an object reaches absolute zero, it will have no motion, and you will know at the same time the position and the speed of the object. Therefore, nothing can reach absolute 0.