Is There Any Motion at Absolute Zero?

[Natko]

Is it possible for motion to exist at 0 Kelvin?

 

[Drakkith]

Yes, absolute zero is the MINIMUM energy state for an object, not a ZERO energy state. The subatomic particles would all be in their lowest energy states, but for some that state would still entail some motion I believe. I'm sure the uncertainty principle matters here somehow.

 

[Nugatory]

Is it possible for motion to exist at 0 Kelvin?

Well, if I had an object at 0 Kelvin (strictly speaking, some non-zero temperature that is very close to zero) I could still move it around my lab... So the answer has to be yes.

If you were asking about internal movement of the particles making up the object, then Drakkith has already answered.

 

[chill_factor]

zero point energy.

 

[pmacias]

At absolute zero, the temperature is defined as 0 Kelvin, which is equivalent to -273.15 degrees Celsius or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the particles in a substance have minimal thermal energy and are essentially at rest. In classical physics, it is believed that at absolute zero, all motion should cease as there is no energy available to drive any movement.

However, in quantum mechanics, it is theorized that even at absolute zero, there is still a small amount of motion or "zero-point energy" present due to the uncertainty principle. This means that particles still have a minimum level of energy and exhibit some random movements. This phenomenon has been observed in experiments such as the Casimir effect.

Therefore, while it is not possible for macroscopic motion to exist at 0 Kelvin, there may still be some atomic or subatomic movements present due to quantum effects. However, these movements are extremely small and do not have any significant impact on the overall behavior of a substance at absolute zero.