Do you consider this "The best answer to an exam question ever"?
By Downwindz
@Downwindz (2537)
Netherlands
June 9, 2010 7:57am CST
I was dashing over my facebook recently and saw one of my friends have added a new group called "The best answer to an exam question ever". Now I would like your comments on this which I have quoted direct from the facebook group;
[i]HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT
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 :
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.'
THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+. [/i]
If this guy really did do this at an exam given they would ask such a question, I think he really had the nerves to do it, respect Based on theory the arguments are well made.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
10 Jun 10
That is a very interesting perspective on it. I have always wondered too that with all the different religions and all the different beliefs how do we really know which religion is the correct one. We would all like to believe ou geligions are the one but nobody really knows. As for Hell being over loaded with souls I guess it is very possible.
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
18 Jun 10
Sorry for the late response to this discussion.
I agree with you that it is very likely that hell is beeing overloaded, and alot of the religions believes that the non-believers of their religion will go to hell, so actually on that theory everybody goes to hell and there is no heaven. But this is just philosophy...
@trruk1 (1028)
• United States
9 Jun 10
That is a good one. I like creative answers. Here's another one: The final on a high school physics course had a question about determining the height of a building using a barometer. The expected answer was to measure air pressure at street level and again on the roof, and from the difference you could determine the height of the building. One inventive young had two ways it could be done. First is to go on the roof, drop the barometer off, and measure how much time elapsed until it smashed on the sidewalk. The other was to go into the basement and find the building superintendent. Tell him you will give him this really neat barometer if he will tell you how tall the building is. Full credit.
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
9 Jun 10
HAHA! indeed a great option too, creative answer indeed.
Sometimes I just wonder what makes the exam commitee to ask questions which can be misinteripated in a such manner, but the answers would always make you laugh.