Re: State of the Union Address

[Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>]

On Mon, Jan 26, 1998 at 09:36:59AM -0500, Rabid Wombat wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, 24 Jan 1998, Matthew Ghio wrote:
> 
> > Anonymous wrote:
> > 
> > > [1] Grab a totally random sample of 100 high school students. Haul the
> > >     students out one at a time and ask them the following questions:
> > [snip]
> > > 11) Michelle mixes one gram of HCl and one half gram of NaOH. Under normal
> > >     circumstances, what is produced and in what quantities?
> > > 
> > 
> > The correct answer is an explosion and a big mess.  One student in my high
> > school chemistry class learned this the hard way.  :)
> > 
> > 
> 
> Um, salt water explodes?

Well, if it was 40 grams of NaOH and 36.5 grams of HCl, then you 
would have 18 grams of water and 58.5 grams of NaCl.  With 1g HCl to 
.5g NaOH, well, you have an acidic, salty, mess.  However, HCl 
is a gas at STP, and NaOH is a solid...

Basically, it's an incredibly poorly worded question.

-- 
Kent Crispin, PAB Chair			"No reason to get excited",
kent@songbird.com			the thief he kindly spoke...
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