# Thermodynamics of Hell

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/thermodynamics-of-hell/107446>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [March 28, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/thermodynamics-of-hell/107446 "2004-03-28T15:43:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![Coppertop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Coppertop](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Coppertop)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/thermodynamics-of-hell/107446/1 "2004-03-28T15:43:28Z")

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On a similar note, I recieved this in an email a while ago:

The Thermodynamics of Hell

(The following is an actual exam 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 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 most 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 still have not  
succeeded in having that event take place, then, #2 cannot be true, and  
thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze."

The student received the only “A” given.