Subject:   Thermodynamics  Explained

The following is a question given on 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:

[b]Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs  heat)?[/b]

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".

[lol]

Gotta love college!

[url]http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/hell.htm[/url]

Please check next time before posting.

[lol]

Check What? Your point is?

Dammit man! I'll bet you go around telling little kids that there aint no Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny is bogus too. [;D]

I have said this before - this part is wrong.
If hell is exothermic, then it gives off heat.  This mean that it cools off and could freeze over!
If it never freezes, it should be endothermic (takes in heat).

Definitions:
[b]endothermic[/b] - Characterized by or causing the absorption of heat; endoergic.

[b]exothermic[/b] - Releasing heat: an exothermic reaction.

LOL

So if I am stranded in the desert on a 118 Deg day I should build a camp fire?[:D]

I did and I do! [;)]

For signalling, yes, for cooling NO.
You have to look at it as a system.
:)

With a name like Entropy, I had to read a thread about Thermodynamics!

Turd!

[:D]