From: deb@meer.net
Date: Tue Feb 10 2004 - 08:27:16 PST
From: <deb@meer.net> Message-ID: <51751.24.221.176.31.1076430436.squirrel@webmail.meer.net> Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 08:27:16 -0800 (PST) Subject: exothrmic vs endothermic?
An amusing story, but most likely not *true*:
http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/hell.asp
> Not a serious question -- just an amusing anecdote:
>
> The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington
> chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that
> the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of
> course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.
>
> Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic
> (absorbs heat)?
>
> Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law
> (gas
> cools off when it expands and heats up when it is compressed) or some
> variant.
>
> One student, however, wrote the following:
>
> "First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So
> we
> need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate they
> are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets
> to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.
>
> As for how many souls are entering Hell, Let's look at the different
> religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions
> state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to
> Hell.
>
> Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not
> belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to
> Hell.
>
> With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of
> souls
> in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change
> of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the
> temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell
> has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
>
> This gives two possibilities:
>
> 1) If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls
> enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase
> until all Hell breaks loose.
>
> 2) If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in
> Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes
> over.
>
> So which is it?
>
> If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman
> year,
> "....that it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you", and
> take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having an
> affair with her, then #2 above cannot be true, and thus I am sure that
> Hell is exothermic and will not freeze over."
>
> THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"
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