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Is Hell exothermic or endothermic?

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Mme. Defarge Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:18 PM
Original message
Is Hell exothermic or endothermic?
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 when it expands and heats 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 at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which 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 slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct ... ... leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being ... ... which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting, "Oh, my God, Oh, my God!"
THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+

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Clear Blue Sky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:21 PM
Response to Original message
1. This one has been around for a while. Funny though...
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Hydra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:22 PM
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2. I don't know why anyone thinks this is brilliant
The illusionary place called hell never lets anything out that gets in according to the myth.

I figured that out in 2 seconds when I first saw this.
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asthmaticeog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:23 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. You must be a stone hoot at parties.
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asthmaticeog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:22 PM
Response to Original message
3. That joke might be as old as the actual Bible.
It really holds up, though, gotta give it that.
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Mme. Defarge Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:25 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. I must lead a sheltered life ...
first time I've seen it.
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sharp_stick Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:46 PM
Response to Reply #6
9. It's been around but I still get a chuckle out of it n/t
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reflection Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:24 PM
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5. I think even McCain
is making fun of the age of this joke.
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Ilsa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:32 PM
Response to Original message
7. I can't remember the last time I saw it, so I'm sending it around again.
Most of my friends ae older than I am, so it will probably look new to them also.
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Occam Bandage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:37 PM
Response to Original message
8. When this first started circulating, I'm pretty sure it was for an Alchemy mid-term.
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Mme. Defarge Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 03:58 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. LOL! n/t
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pingzing58 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 04:38 PM
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11. Liked it when I first read this it's still great.
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soothsayer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-22-08 09:44 PM
Response to Original message
12. The Brits thought hell would be cold and damp. It's really all your frame of reference.
A warm hell prolly would have been heaven to the brits! (back before global warming that is)
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