The connections between work, energy, heat and temperature will be explained during the Saturday, March 19, CU Wizards show "Much Ado About Absolute Zero."
Paul Beale and Scott Kittelman of the University of Colorado at Boulder will present the show at 9:30 a.m. in Duane Physics, room G1B30. Beale is a professor of physics and Kittelman is a researcher in the Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. The show, aimed primarily at students in grades five through nine, is free and open to the public.
During the show Beale and Kittelman will use props including light bulbs, balloons and superconductors to demonstrate how temperatures are measured and how the properties of materials change dramatically as their temperatures are changed from thousands of degrees above zero to hundreds of degrees below zero. They also will use an infrared camera and other tools to show that all objects, including the human body, emit radiation that depends on their temperature.
The audience will learn what heat is, how temperature is related to the motion of molecules in a material, why there is an absolute zero temperature and what distinguishes solids, liquids and gases from each other. Beale and Kittelman also will explain why interesting things happen when matter is cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero.
CU Wizards is usually held the third Saturday of each month during the academic year and focuses on astronomy, chemistry and physics. Though intended primarily for students in grades five through nine, the shows are educational and entertaining to people of all ages.
For more information about CU Wizards call (303) 492-6952 or visit .