Does an absolute zero velocity exist?

Question

In chemistry an absolute zero temperature is defined to be a complete lack of kinetic motion at a nanoscale; does physics also have similar concept? Even if we could attain absolute zero temperature in a labratory we would still be far from an absolute zero velocity because the eart is moving around the sun, the sun moving around the galactic center, and on and on.

Answer 1

I don't think anyone has quite nailed you question. First of all, you have to pick a reference frame. You can say a building is standing still, but as you correctly pointed out, we are moving around the sun, etc. Say though that you are satisfied with saying that the earth is your reference frame and you want to find something with absolutely zero velocity with respect to the earth.

As you have also correctly assumed, there is an analogous idea in physics to the notion of impossible absolute zero. Quantum mechanics says that any length smaller than 1.6 × 10^−35 meters is meaningless to discuss. This is called the Planck Length. Similarly, 5.39121 x 10^-44 s is the smallest understandable length of time, called the Planck Time. You can never say that something is moving with absolutely no velocity as you can not be sure less than a Planck length, or less than a Planck time.

Answer 2

Zero velocity....from whose perspective? Even if an atom is at absolute zero on earth, it is moving with the earth, and thus has velocity relative to, say, the sun. Velocity is a relative measure, and depends on the inertial frame of reference. Look up Einstein's theory of special relativity.

To the extent that there is a 'zero reference frame' somewhere in the universe (a point at which all other objects in the universe move relative to), there could be absolute zero velocity. Since no such frame is known to exist, I would say that while it is possible, there is currently no reason to suppose that there is an absolute zero velocity.

Answer 3

Well, the Earth is moving and spining around the sun, so can you get zero?

Velocity and speed are given relative to something. So, for example, if your car is going at 30mph, it's going at 30mph relative to the road.

When taking measurements, we need a reference point we can take measurements from. In this case, we'd need something that stayed perfectly still.

Could you find such a thing in the Universe? The Universe is expanding all the time, so everything is moving apart from everything else. Thus I would say there is nothig we're not moving away from at some speed.

Answer 4

I think the answer comes from relativity. Einstein's whole point was that there is no absolute frame of reference. What appears to have zero velocity in one reference frame can have any velocity in any other arbitrary reference frame.

So while the question might seem to make sense from a thermodynamics, or quantum mechanics perspective, relativity really shows that it doesn't, as there is no such thing as absolute velocity (zero or otherwise) in the first place.

Answer 5

Theoretically, there will be a single point in the very center of the universe - the point at which the Big Bang occurred, which everything in the universe is moving away from - where there will be zero velocity.

Answer 6

There really is no sense to the notion that an object can be truly at rest - or "zero velocity."

Motion, unlike temperature, is based on the observer's reference - and any observer can consider himself "at rest" with equal validity (remember, the earth was thought to be at rest in the center of the universe for centuries).

If an object (A) in space detects another object (B) moving away from it, each object can consider itself at rest - and any and all physical measurements made by either object will be correct and exactly the same - and no single reference can be used to determine which object is actually moving due to the motion of the reference.

It's like putting ink dots on a balloon and then slowly blowing it up - you can look at any one dot while the balloon is blowing up and all of the other dots are moving further away from it - and that illusion is true irregardless of which dot you choose to look at ("at rest.")

Answer 7

If absolutle zero temperature was obtained, a complete lack of motion would exist and nothing would be moving. Because there will always be some kind of heat, there is no absolute zero.

Read about quantum mechanics (yuck) if you are interested.

Answer 8

Einstein theorized that matter that reaches the event horizon of a super dense body such as a black hole will all together stop, and the view from there would likely be the instantaneous (relative to your perspective) end of all things. In a way, the terminal velocity of matter and absolute zero velocity are one in the same.

Answer 9

Many buildings and so on are not moving with the exception of the earth rotation and revolving around the sun and the sun and planets moving around the north star in our milky way galaxy. However dont separate chemistry and physics like that. Heat is a physics topic too.

Answer 10

Since theoretical absolute zero temp is not attainable, zero velocity will never excist since the molecules will still be in motion, even if ever so slight