Can Heat Dissipate Without a Medium for Transfer?

[Interception]

Ok, so this may be more of a chemistry oriented question, but physics is pretty much the foundation of chemistry. We've covered thermochemistry to some extent in my Properties of General Chem class, and I had a thought. Since heat is associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules within a substance or state of matter, suppose I had a piece of metal heated to a specific temperature (not really important what temperature but let's say around 100* Celsius) suspended in an evacuated isolated system (I have no idea how it would be suspended, so long as it is not in contact with any other surface, so just assume it is). Would the temperature of the metal drop? There are no gas molecules within the system for the heat to be transferred to, and it is not in contact with anything else. Would the average kinetic energy of the molecules begin to slow over time due to intermolecular forces? This is just out of curiousity, and I apologize if it sounds rediculous.

 

[anuragkanase]

Is this what you mean to say:
You suspend a metal in a vacuum isolated jar(say), so, does the metal cool?

If that's what you wish to say, the answer is yes. It would definitely drop. And it is due to Radiation.

 

[gomunkul51]

Excellent question!
The fact of the matter is that anything with temperature higher than absolute zero (0 kelvin) will loose heat to the surroundings via thermal radiation (electromagnetic radiation due to non-zero temperature).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_radiation


Roman.

 

[haruspex]

Because you specified a metal object, it will certainly radiate energy. But it will also absorb energy radiated from its surroundings, so if they're at the same temperature it is unlikely to cool.
For other materials it gets more complex. A ball of nitrogen gas in space, hanging together by gravitational attraction, would have great difficulty emitting anything unless molecules in it reach sufficient energy to knock electrons into excited states.
The difference is all those free electrons buzzing around in metals, ready to emit at the slightest acceleration.

 

[sardar]

I can say that in this scenario, the heat would eventually dissipate through radiation. While there are no gas molecules present for convection or conduction to occur, radiation is still a form of heat transfer that does not require a medium. The metal would emit thermal radiation, which would gradually decrease its temperature as the heat is transferred to the surroundings. This process is known as thermal radiation cooling.

Additionally, the intermolecular forces within the metal would also play a role in decreasing its temperature over time. As the metal cools, the average kinetic energy of its molecules would decrease, causing them to move slower and eventually reach a state of equilibrium with their surroundings.

In summary, while the absence of a medium for heat transfer may delay the cooling process, the metal would still eventually lose its heat through radiation and intermolecular forces. This is due to the fundamental laws of thermodynamics, which state that heat always flows from a warmer object to a cooler object until they reach thermal equilibrium.