Does metal shatter if cold enough?

In movies or shows where the character has ice powers or a ice based weapon they can freeze stuff like metal and break through it easily causing the metal to shatter like glass. Is this scientifically accurate? And if so would the same apply to rock, wood, or people?

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SW-User

Below a certain point, the atoms get even closer, in solids they are the closest, which is different bonds holding the atoms in different shapes, but at lower temperature, metals don't go any closer. So, if I freeze an iron bar, it will be still an iron bar. It won't get brittle just like they show in TVs, unless they react with some other metals to undergo a change in chemical composition.
Having said that, metals shattering at low temperature is an example of comic book physics. If it was real, people using metal claws to climb Everest would never make it to the top.

xmedleft · 51-55, M

It's not the molecular closeness, it's the molecular vibration speed/energy level. Metal items used for climbing break all the time, climbers have to have redundant sets even if they're made of resilient materials, BUT Everest is not COLD, sure it's cold, but it's not the kind of cold that slows molecular motion. Even near-Earth space isn't cold enough. It takes special equipment or moving beyond Saturn to approach absolute zero -- where anything becomes brittle.

SW-User

@zmedleff1: thanks for the reference, I'll have a look at the topic again. Molecular vibration and the energy related to it has a temperature coefficient, so I guess low temperatures affect it.

xmedleft · 51-55, M

@ragingfire: And I should concede a detail that may affect the point. I saw someone else on here refer to Fracturing and another refer to Cracking.
So perhaps breaking, cracking, fracturing and shattering are different actions/events. I don't know for sure if there shall be a distinction -- I suppose shattering sounds more ... active?

SW-User

I'd say shattering is the right word. Cracking and fracturing could mean partial rupture. @zmedleff1: