How do you explain that there is no such thing as cold, only the absence of heat?

Answer 1

OK, the above three are not entirely correct. The statement is true. Heat is defined as the movement of molecules in the air, hence the reason gasseous matters are so much faster. They have much more energy than other states of matter. So we have defined heat as a scientific term. The word "cold" is an adjective not associated with the scientific world. We use cold to describe anything that lacks heat. So yes, in the scientific world, there is no cold, just an absence of heat. I hope that clears things up.

Answer 2

Haveyou ever felt cold on a winter's day and don't believe there's no such thingas 'cold' ...? Brrr...

Coldness is experienced when the temperature of he atmosphere is below the temperature of your body.
The lower the temperature, the colder you feel and, if you can feel it, it exists..

Heat energy is the motion of molecules in a substance or body. When the temperature of a body (substance) is decreased, the molecular motion also decreases and the object becomes cooler.
If heat is removed until all molecular motion ceases, the temperature is decreased to Absolute Zero.
This, if it could happen would be -273.15°C or Zero Kelvin.
Such a temperature has never quite been achieved but, in outer space it is considered to be the nearestto it.

Do you think this could be classed as 'COLD' ?

Answer 3

It is a relative statement... largely used to keep the math working.

This model also cleanly describes the movement of particles/energy from an area of high concentration to low concentration. Why the hot pan gets cooler as the cold bacon gets warmer. Why light diffuses into the dark, but you can't shine a beam of dark. Osmosis is another example.

Like light/dark (same thing- how much energy is there), the math works out with far less difficulty if you have a true zero to work with, rather than positives and negatives.

Think of it like a bank account. There is no debt (negative money in the account) because this isn't actually possible... there is a positive number owed to someone else.

If a thing 'exists' (energy, photons, whatever) you cannot have less than none of it.

Of course, string theorists will tear me a new one for this antique point of view, but I hope it helps.

Answer 4

Heat is caused by the motion of molecules. The slower they move the colder the item is. How would you define cold --unmotion?

Answer 5

the statement is wrong.......