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 2 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