>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."
>
>THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"