Dumb Questions

[TonyC]

I would say we do have a reference point in terms of heat and that is absolute zero, just like if you say you are going twice as fast as a given speed, your reference is also zero.

Twice as fast relative to what? Would that be relative ground speed over the earth? Or would that be relative airspeed? Or would that be speed in reference to the moon? or the sun? or some other celestial body? If a man is walking at the rate of 3 miles per hour on top of a train that is travelling over the ground at the rate of 50 miles per hour on the earth that is hurtling through space at the rate of.... well, real, real fast.... how fast is he walking?

Scales that have zero somewhere above the zero point of heat are useless and have to be converted into something that have zero at zero heat.

Its only the Kelvins scale, where zero actually does equal absolute zero. If it doesnt give zero as a start point, doubling the number doesnt mean twice as hot.

0F = 255.4 degrees K

We can divide that by half, since 0K is absolute zero

Which is 127.7K converted back to F = -229.8 .

Excellent argument, and I won't dispute it, but you still haven't convinced me that "twice as cold" means the same thing to the person who asked the original question as "half as much heat." It may seem like a logical assumption to you and me, but it is still just that - - an assumption. Absent that assumption, we have what the poser intended to point out: a dumb question.

 

[Mesabi Miner]

Fascinating arguments....

I interpreted the question as follows... Let's assume today is 10 F. Tomorrow is 0 F. The next day is going to be twice as cold (Alberta Clipper causing cold-air advection). That third day is going to be -10 F. Hence the "twice" word doubles the Delta T value that occurred between the first and second day. This hypothesis supports those stating that a frame of reference was needed.

Does anyone have a bomb calorimeter that we can use to test all these hypotheses? Mr. Wizard used one once and torched a bowl of cereal!

 

[Smoked Toilet]

How about an Olson Twins countdown timer?

 

[OUjetdrvr]

I am waiting on their careers to fizzle and then announce a comeback with a nice Playboy spread!!!

Starting to happen with that bomb "NY minute"!

 

[bogberto]

How about an Olson Twins countdown timer?

http://www.chasebrown.com/olson.htm

Why do the peepholes in the cockpit doors have covers? If the cover is broken, does that ground the aircraft?

 

[Long Time Gone]

Love the countdown site.....where's the one for Lindsey Lohen?

If 7-11 is open 24 hrs a day, why are there locks on the doors? Doesn't that just make it easier to rob the place?

LTG

 

[TonyC]

If 7-11 is open 24 hrs a day, why are there locks on the doors?

I don't think that's a dumb question at all. In fact, I think it's a very perplexing question. Along the same lines:

Why do drive-through ATMs have braille on them?

 

[lurker]

Why do you drive on a parkway, and park in a driveway?

 

[Jetscream32]

Why is phoenetically not spelled the way it sounds?

 

[another cfii]

Ohh, i have one...

Where do babies come from?