this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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submitted 4 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] bdonvr 22 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Let's say the summer average is 30⁰C or 303.15 Kelvin

The absolute coldest possible temperature is -273.15⁰C, or 0K.

Halfway between absolute zero and 30⁰C/303.15K is somewhere around -121⁰C/152K

So if it were half as hot in the summer, it would be colder than ever recorded on earth.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

In short, you don't want to use a temperature scale with an arbitrary starting point for doing calculations like this. The freezing point of water is no more or less arbitrary than the freezing point of oxygen or sodium or anything else. It's just one that's somewhat useful for everyday use. When handling calculations for multiplying temperature, you want an absolute scale like Kelvin.

Or Rankine if you're that kind of pervert.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

What makes Kelvin absolute, and why is Celsius "wobbly"?

I failed physics in high school

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

0 K is like when there is 0 heat basically, while celsius isn't. Imagine a unit for distance called "goob" where 0 goobs is 100 m and 1 goob is 115 m. In that case the goob unit would behave differently than a meter when you multiply and divide because 0 of the units don't actually correspond to "nothing" in a physical sense. That's exactly how the Celsius scale is, with zero being placed somewhere arbitrarily, not at a physical zero.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

i feel like i need more goob in my life. do you sell rulers?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

Bit of an awkward scale for a ruler, but I can sell you one from -6.6666666.... to -6.65 goobs.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

absolute scales are still arbitrary. you would probably want to use a scale that measures "perceived heat" which is different than average kinetic energy

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Kelvin is just our word for it, but that is the point of “no heat”. It isn’t arbitrary, there is no “negative kelvin” just like you cannot make something colder than absolute zero.

So if you take the difference between “coldest possible temp” and “average summer temp”, then slice it in half, you’re getting temperatures that would kill most life on earth.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Just to nitpick, there are negative kelvins. I don't really understand it, myself, but I know it exists due to the specifics of how temperature is defined. Negative kelvins are actually extremely hot.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

just because it has a reason doesn't make it not arbitrary. you can ultimately come up with a reason for all arbitrary decisions

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Is there a way to distinguish between arbitrary and non-arbitrary? Or is literally everything ever arbitrary?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

literally every definition ever is arbitrary

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Then what's the point of even calling it arbitrary? If it covers everything, then there's no reason for the word.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

that's not true. there are things that are not definitions. like my bed for instance, there are aspects that are arbitrary (my personal preferences, design choices, etc) and aspects that are not arbitrary (its physical form that exists beyond definition)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Do you not understand what the word arbitrary means?…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

maybe you're the one who doesn't understand the ramifications of its meaning