British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

How Low Can You Go? (Part 1)

Synopsis
Discusses the quest for attaining absolute zero, the lowest temperature in the universe. Looks at the work of Gay-Lussac, an 18th-century French scientist concerned with the properties of gases, who found that by expanding gases, they could be made to cool. He predicted that by cycles of expansion it would be possible to produce cooling without limit. Explains the scientific basis of temperature scales and shows how they are related. A fire extinguisher is set off to show that instantaneous expansion of carbon dioxide solidifies the compound.
Explains the importance of pair potential calculations in the manipulation of temperature and understanding energy effects at the atomic level. Shows standard experiments within a few degrees of absolute zero - levitating magnets, the fountain effect and creeping of liquid helium. Discusses an apparatus which can cool material to within a millionth of a degree of absolute zero by using diabatic nuclear cooling, involving the manipulation of magnetic fields and the energy of copper nuclei.
Series
Physics of Matter, The: Course S272
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 25 min.
Year of production
1986
Availability
OUT OF DISTRIBUTION
Uses
Undergraduate physics.*
Subjects
Physics
Keywords
absolute zero; temperature

Credits

Producer
Nick Brenton
Cast
John Bolton 
Steve Swithenby 

Production Company

Name

BBC Open University Productions

Distributor

Name

Open University Worldwide

Web
http://www.ouw.co.uk External site opens in new window
Phone
+44 (0) 1908 274066
Address
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
Notes
NB. As of May 2016 Open University Worldwide are no longer distributing DVDs. They have posted this message on their website: ‘Unfortunately Open University Worldwide Limited has decided that product sales are no longer viable given the reduced funding to Higher Education institutions and diminishing demand for the products we have traditionally stocked. At present the Open University Students Association (OUSA) will continue to sell the "Good Study Guide", and we are in discussion with other possible distributors to continue to make The Open University’s products available for purchase. As soon as we have any information on other channels of distribution we will update this notice’. Some products are still available via second hand dealers on Amazon.co.uk

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