absolute zero
nounDefinition of absolute zero
: a theoretical temperature characterized by complete absence of heat and motion and equivalent to exactly −273.15°C or −459.67°F
Examples of absolute zero in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Indeed, an electrical current running around a ring of mercury at 7 degrees above absolute zero would, in principle, run forever. — Kenneth Chang, New York Times, "J. Robert Schrieffer, 88, Dies; Insight on Superconductivity Led to Nobel," 6 Aug. 2019 The telescope faces engineering challenges, such as the need to keep it just a few degrees above absolute zero. — Leah Brennan, baltimoresun.com, "James Webb telescope project manager, a Columbia resident, plans for NASA launch," 24 July 2019 Last year, physicists reported that, when chilled to 1.7°C above absolute zero (–273°C), sheets of carbon atoms two layers thick can conduct electricity without resistance, allowing electrons to whiz through the material without losing any energy. — Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, "Trilayer graphene shows signs of superconductivity," 17 July 2019 Bose-Einstein condensate: Only formed at temperatures close to absolute zero, all the atoms in this material begin to act as a single particle. — Adam Mann, National Geographic, "Confirmed: New phase of matter is solid and liquid at the same time," 8 Apr. 2019 Worse yet, the vibrations will not stop until the crystal reaches absolute zero, which is impossible. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Straining a diamond makes silicon-based qubit behave," 20 Sep. 2018 These are clouds of hundreds of thousands of atoms that, when chilled to just above absolute zero, behave as waves that synchronize into a single quantum object. — Elizabeth Gibney, Scientific American, "Universe’s Coolest Lab Set to Open Quantum World," 9 May 2018 Kuiper Belt objects are incredibly cold — just 35 degrees Kelvin above absolute zero. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "On New Year’s Day, a spacecraft will zoom by the most distant object humanity has ever visited," 27 Dec. 2018 That will have effects on things much more important than the party balloon industry; with a boiling point near absolute zero, the inert gas has all kinds of applications and uses in medicine and technology. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Researchers Have Found a Crucial Cache of Helium Underground in Africa," 28 June 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'absolute zero.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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