Absolute Zero

temperature · physics · extreme science · energy

The Ultimate Cold. Absolute zero is minus 273.15 degrees Celsius, which is so cold that nothing can possibly get colder. It's the temperature where all the tiny particles inside everything stop moving.

Named the Kelvin Scale. Scientists use a special temperature scale called the Kelvin scale where absolute zero is 0 K. This makes it super useful for scientists doing experiments with extreme cold.

Impossible to Actually Reach. Even though absolute zero exists as an idea, nobody can ever actually make something that cold. The closer scientists try to get, the harder and more expensive it becomes.

Where Energy Stops. At absolute zero, all the energy inside something reaches its lowest possible level. Particles would have no heat energy left to move around at all.

Discovered Through Math. Scientists figured out absolute zero by studying how gases behave when they get colder and colder. They used the ideal gas law to predict that temperature must exist.