What are cryogenics and cryology?
Cryogenics and cryology represent a branch of physics that studies very low temperatures and their effects. The prefix “cryo” comes from the Greek word “kruos,” which means extreme cold. The suffixes “genics” and “logy” come from the words for “producing” and “study” ( methodical). When you put them together, you get the words “cryogenics,” and “cryology,” the production of very low temperatures and the study of their effects. In outer space, things may get very hot, then very cold. This is an important factor in the design and choice of materials for spacecraft. Back to menu How do the following substances respond to very low temperatures? Metals : Spaceships are made with several different kinds of metal, so it’s important to know how metals react to extreme cold. Metals contract when they are cooled. In other words, they take up less space. Some metals will contract more than others at a given temperature. This is demonstrated by a bimetallic strip, which is made of two different ty