​How HyVac Has Much Ado About Nothing (Part One)

Let’s get philosophical — what is nothingness? The concept of nothing has been hotly debated by great thinkers for thousands of years, but nothingness in physics may or may not be just as layered. What are physicists talking about when they refer to “nothing?”

Creating vacuum conditions requires many pieces and parts, including:

• Centering rings
• Port covers
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• Elbow fittings
• Vacuum nipples
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• Nw25
• Nw40
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• O rings
• Vacuum bellows

Not everyone does vacuum parts, and not everyone does them with the quality and precision that HyVac does. If you’ve been searching for American-made vacuum products that are eco-friendly, you’ve found a partner in HyVac. And, if you’re still curious about what “nothingness,” or the void in physics, stay with us and follow along in today’s science musing!

The Void in Physics

What is nothing and everything to a physicist? When a physicist refers to “nothing,” they are referring to empty space, or what we know as a vacuum. Empty space may seem arbitrary and easy to understand, but science experiments have revealed a vacuum really isn’t empty space — it’s filled with wonderous and mysterious energy that tells us about the kismet of the universe!

Is Nothing Really Nothing? Is Emptiness Nothingness?

The space around us seems blank — if there is no physical object to interject us from waving our arms around or to stub a toe on, the space is empty, right? Because what’s left when you remove all objects?

So, what happens if we remove all the objects from the universe, is the universe simply empty? It is known that the universe can be seen as empty — the density in space is roughly one atom every 10 meters — light years away from any vacuum conditions we can recreate on Earth. Even if you were to remove all the objects in the universe, it has gravitational waves and ripples — and that space is a rare and fascinating kind of energy, being empty space in and of itself.

The Rise and Discovery of Empty Space - Large and Small

The 20th century ushered in great discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics, which studies the miniscule world of particles and atoms. Its theory to explain the nothingness is that it is a field of alternating background energy with atoms and particles that are popping in and out of that space. And, on a small scale, it can even create a force. But, where do we begin to even look at vast and large empty space on a grand scale?

Scientists knew that large fields of empty space existed, and it was formally discovered more than 20 years ago, but the fact that the universe was accelerating was a revelation. The understanding was thought that it was slowing because of the gravitational pull from the galaxies and the energy the other structures placed on each other. In this space, a sort of latent energy existed, which was a repulsion in and of itself, deflecting the attraction of gravity. This energy observed in a large space was nicknamed dark energy. This discovery gave scientists the understanding that the void or large amounts of empty space is not just empty space, but something that determines the universe's fate!

There is so much more to explore about nothing, but really what is time?! Stay tuned for part two!

Vacuum energy and vacuum conditions are needed if we’re to explore and test theories of what nothingness is. This can only be accomplished with the right vacuum parts and pieces, such as nw25, nw40, nw50, and nw16 from HyVac.

For more information about our vacuum parts, contact us today!