How Does Material Choice Impact Physics Experiments on Absolute Zero?

In summary, the choice of materials used in physics experiments can greatly impact the study of absolute zero. Materials with lower thermal conductivity, such as vacuum or specialized insulators, are often preferred in order to minimize heat transfer and maintain a stable environment for precise measurements. The specific properties of materials, such as their heat capacity or ability to reach low temperatures, can also affect the accuracy and reliability of experiments on absolute zero. Careful consideration of material choice is crucial in these experiments to ensure accurate results and further our understanding of this fundamental concept in physics.
  • #1
tj19926
8
0
I just performed a lab in my physics class, and there are a few conceptual questions that I am having trouble with. The lab was simple. We took a constant volume sphere made of Stainless steel and filled with air. We changed the temperature of the water it was into record the corresponding change in pressure.

1.The sphere used was filled with air, which is not an ideal gas. Does this play a role in increasing percent error? Why or why not?
I think it would have an effect since air is not uniform throughout, but I am not sure and not sure of why.

2. The sphere is made of stainless Steel. Is this a good choice? If so why? If not, why not and what would be a good alternative? Explain why it would be better.

I'm pretty sure that this has to do with specific heats. Stainless steel's is 490 J/kg. I am not sure if you would prefer a metal with a higher (such as Aluminum) or lower(Lead) specific heat in this experiment.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
tj19926 said:
1.The sphere used was filled with air, which is not an ideal gas. Does this play a role in increasing percent error? Why or why not?
I think it would have an effect since air is not uniform throughout, but I am not sure and not sure of why.
What is the definition of an ideal gas? In which respect does air not fit exactly this definition? (There are two principle differences.)
 
  • #3
DrClaude said:
What is the definition of an ideal gas? In which respect does air not fit exactly this definition? (There are two principle differences.)

An ideal gas is supposed to be composed of randomly moving non interacting particles. I read that air can be treated as an ideal gas at standard temp and pressure. Would it ruin the percent error due its deviations from ideal gas behavior when we lower the temperature and pressure?
 
  • #4
tj19926 said:
An ideal gas is supposed to be composed of randomly moving non interacting particles.
Non-interacting is one characteristic of an ideal gas, but not "randomly moving". The second characteristic might not be obvious, so I'll give it: it is made of point particles.

Does this correspond to air? If not, can this affect the measurements you are taking?

tj19926 said:
I read that air can be treated as an ideal gas at standard temp and pressure.
Yes, that's a pretty good approximation.

tj19926 said:
Would it ruin the percent error due its deviations from ideal gas behavior when we lower the temperature and pressure?
"Ruin" is a strong word here. The question said "play a role".

By the way, I don't know the answer to the question, as I don't know the details of the experiment. You have to figure out not only the answer to my question above, but also if it plays a role in your particular experiment. (In other words: how did you make use of the ideal gas law in the experiment and its analysis?)
 
  • #5
tj19926 said:
An ideal gas is supposed to be composed of randomly moving non interacting particles. I read that air can be treated as an ideal gas at standard temp and pressure. Would it ruin the percent error due its deviations from ideal gas behavior when we lower the temperature and pressure?

Ideally, the experiment would be done at several values of density of the gas, and then the results would be extrapolated to zero density.
 
  • #6
hilbert2 said:
Ideally, the experiment would be done at several values of temperature and pressure, and then the results would be extrapolated to zero pressure.

Yeah, that's what we did. We used a variety of temps from -17c to about 80c and just estimated what 0K would be
 
  • #7
I changed the words "temperature and pressure" to "density" in my post. In a single experiment, you measure several P-T data points and then extrapolate to zero pressure. What I mean is that you should do several series of measurements with different densities of the gas in the container and then extrapolate again to find out what the result would be if the gas had zero density.

Actually, when I was a first year physics student some years ago, I did an identical lab experiment.
 
  • #8
I pick up on the second part: your concern is about the specific heat. Why ?
For your experiment you need a constant volume. What property influences the volume of the steel sphere under temperature change ?

And if you worry about ideal gas law deviations, check out the http://faculty.wwu.edu/vawter/PhysicsNet/Topics/Thermal/vdWaalEquatOfState.html equation
 

1. What is absolute zero?

Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature that can be reached. It is equivalent to 0 Kelvin (K) on the Kelvin scale, -273.15 degrees Celsius (°C) on the Celsius scale, and -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) on the Fahrenheit scale.

2. How is absolute zero determined?

Absolute zero is determined by measuring the temperature at which a gas reaches its lowest possible energy state, known as the zero-point energy. This is done by using a variety of methods, including measuring the pressure and volume of a gas at different temperatures, or using specialized equipment such as a thermodynamic thermometer.

3. Why is absolute zero considered to be the lowest possible temperature?

Absolute zero is considered to be the lowest possible temperature because at this point, all thermal motion in a substance stops. This means that there is no energy left to extract from a substance to lower its temperature further.

4. Can absolute zero ever be reached?

It is theoretically possible to reach absolute zero, however, it is practically impossible to achieve in reality. As temperature approaches absolute zero, the energy required to lower the temperature further becomes infinitely large, making it impossible to reach exactly 0 K.

5. What are the practical applications of knowing the value of absolute zero?

The knowledge of absolute zero is crucial in many scientific fields, including thermodynamics, chemistry, and physics. It helps in understanding the behavior of gases, as well as in the development of refrigeration and cryogenics technology. It also serves as a reference point for temperature scales and is used in the calibration of temperature measuring devices.

Similar threads

Errors in Experiment with Low and High Conductivity Materials
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
329
Finding Absolute Zero Values from Best Fit Lines with & w/o Uncertainty
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
Why is absolute zero important in the PV = nRT formula?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
3K
Absolute Zero v. The Speed of Light
    • Optics
2
Replies
40
Views
14K
Joule Heating of Metals with Different Resistivities
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
3K
Cooking (Thermodynamics) Problems
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
14
Views
3K
(Magnetism) Magnetic pull force on a steel ball
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
332
Ideal gas and absolute zero
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
1K
Question: Determining absolute zero with a piston
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
I In which sense(s) do square integrable functions go to zero at infinity?
    • Topology and Analysis
Replies
2
Views
129

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top