Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

This message comes from a graduate of the Univerisity of Oklahoma Chemical Engineering Department via an acquaintance of mine who sends out a "Daily Silly" to a large group of people. It cites one of Dr.Schlambaugh's final test questions for his final exam for 1997. [Note: Dr. Schlambaugh is known for asking questions on his finals like:"Why do airplanes fly?"] This was an "actual question" given on a University of Washington chemistry midterm.

Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Support your answer with proof.

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 in time. So, we need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate 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 people and 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 temperature and the 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. Therese Banyan during my Freshman year, that "It will be a cold night in Hell before I sleep with you", and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in that area, then (2) cannot be true, and so Hell is exothermic.

This student got the only A.

urizen9's picture

energy problem

What if hell expands in proportion to the steadily increasing number of souls that enter into it?

It then maybe constructed like an organism (rather than real estate) which automatically expands as it absorbs new souls. The problem then is where does it get the energy from? Not from the souls. They need to hold on to their energy so they can suffer.

It (hell) could possibly use the energy generated by the suffering (screaming, kicking etc) of ever increasing number of souls and invest it into new plant, fixtures and fire.

Q.E.D.

Hell as a Cell

Well we could also look at it as though hell has a semi-permiable membrane. this would explain both the heat production and the containment of souls. As the souls pass into the membrane, they would encounter friction. Yes, a physics sin, friction doesn't actually exist but nonetheless, energy is passed from the kinetic state of souls moving towards hell to the hellish membrane. Thus, the membrane would give off heat as a result. The membrane also explains why the souls can't get back out.

Now souls are also a metaphysical entity that would be connected to god. this could entail that, god being infinite and all, an infinite amount of energy could be extracted from the souls. This would allow for an infinite growth to occur according to the infinite influx of souls.

Hell does not exist...The

Hell does not exist...The core of the earth is made from hard, recycled material from the earths surface. Our bodies will eventually go there after we die. Every time a volcano bursts do you want to say it's due to an overflow of spirits to the underworld? No...sorry, but no.

But I want you to explain ghosts to me...

My theory is that they're souls waiting to be remanifested into a physical form.

I'd much sooner believe in reincarnation since it's mathematically plausable than I would in heaven and hell.

 

Whoever thinks hell doesn't

Whoever thinks hell doesn't exist evidently has never been married

harleysportster's picture

Everyday People

Everyday People wrote:

Whoever thinks hell doesn't exist evidently has never been married

 

LOL, there is some truth in that one as I can personally attest.

“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno