Fw: What the hell...

[Judy]

 > The following is an actual question given on a University
> of Washington chemistry midterm. The answer was so
> "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues,
> which is 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
> with 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.  Some of
> these religions state that if you are not a member of their
> religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are 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 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. Of course, 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 Ms. Teresa Banyan
> 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 sexual
> relations with her, then #2 cannot be true; and thus I am
> sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze."
> 
> THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A" GIVEN
> 
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