Is it possible to keep getting infinitely less or smaller

[Lekgolo555]

Is it possible to keep getting infinitely less or smaller?

 

Like can you keep getting colder and colder or is there a limit?

 

Or can matter be broken down into ever smaller pieces?

 

And the amount of energy in a system get lesser and less without approaching zero?

[iNow]

Is it possible to keep getting infinitely less or smaller?

Yes. You just keep taking half of what remains, then take half again. You take half over and over until you are left with the undefined. The question then becomes, how does one take half of undefined?

 

Like can you keep getting colder and colder or is there a limit?

It's called absolute zero. It's like celcius or fareheit, but is zero on a scale called Kelvin. It translates into zero motion. No movement, as movement is molecules banging and hence friction... hence heat. The issue is that absolute zero, in many senses, implies stoppage of time.

 

Now, if your question related to humans, we can only get so cold before our physiology breaks down and we cease physical existence. The heart dies, the brain dies, and we remain only memories to those who have not reached the same state... So, metaphyiscially we don't die in the minds of those still alive, just in our own reflectance of the universe.

 

Or can matter be broken down into ever smaller pieces?

This is a philosphical question. One would imagine that, after a certain point, matter broken down too far itself no longer is matter. However, there is a lot we still do not know. If anyone offers you an absolute answer, they are a liar... Unless, of course, they tell you that they do not know.

 

And the amount of energy in a system get lesser and less without approaching zero?

I don't follow this question. Sorry. Too many glasses of red. It seems to touch on entropy, which is a constant (you don't leave your room with toys all over the floor and return to find them in their proper place unless energy was added to the system), but regardless your point... Energy is constant, just changes forms.

 

 

Heisenberg was not named Martia nor was he a Changeling.

[Royston]

Is it possible to keep getting infinitely less or smaller?

 

Or can matter be broken down into ever smaller pieces?

 

Here's a brief history on discrete space, I presume you mean infinitely less in a 'physical' sense (for want of a better word.)

 

http://www.wolframscience.com/reference/notes/1027c

 

EDIT: forgot to mention, the link touches on both continuous as well as discrete space...as Sisyphus mentioned, both are possibilities.

 

Like can you keep getting colder and colder or is there a limit?

 

And the amount of energy in a system get lesser and less without approaching zero?

 

As iNow stated, absolute zero is the limit, although it can't be reached...but if you look up Bose-Einstein condensate, in particular the experiments conducted in 95, by Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman, you'll appreciate the behaviour of matter when supercooled.

[Sisyphus]

Mathematically you can always get smaller, without limit.

 

Physically we don't know. It's possible that space is continuous (and therefore infinitely divisible), and it's possible that it's discrete. The latter is very, very weird though.

 

As for matter being broken down, we don't know that either. We thought we've found the fundamental, indivisible building blocks before, and we've been wrong a couple times. For example, the word "atom" means fundamental building block, but clearly that proved to be premature.

[RyanJ]

Is it possible to keep getting infinitely less or smaller?

 

Depending on the context of the question I'd say yes and no. Mathematically it is always possible for something to be made smaller simply by dividing it into two. With physics however things get a little more complicated. I'd say I can't actually answer that but really as I don't have a definite answer for you. Theoretically speaking I don't see why there should be a fundamental limit to how small something can be (say distance) other than the smaller something gets the more our ability to measure it accurately is compromised.

 

Like can you keep getting colder and colder or is there a limit?

 

As iNow said,the understood limit is Absolute Zero.

 

Or can matter be broken down into ever smaller pieces?

 

Currently the smallest particle that has been proposed is the Quark - these too could be composed of still smaller particles. If you also believe string theory then the tiny filament of energy that compose the string is the most basic constituent of matter. Realistically speaking its really hard to answer this question with much certainty as it has yet to be proven either way.

 

And the amount of energy in a system get lesser and less without approaching zero?

 

That again is similar to your first question and is hard to answer.