Comments on: Scientist/Engineer Dichotomy

By: jleedev

jleedev — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:01:40 +0000

I didn’t know about the properties of carbon under various pressures; I had to look it up. I’m sure 8th graders know the difference between melting and burning. But I bet if you asked 8th graders why bread doesn’t melt, you wouldn’t get a satisfactory answer.

(And I haven’t taken ochem, but I do see why it was a stupid question in that context.)

By: Pat

Pat — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Oh, and the people in an intro ochem class have already had a least two semesters of college level chemistry.

By: Pat

Pat — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:54:41 +0000

I don't think it takes a semester of chemestry to determine that pile of ash /= bread.
Isn't combustion covered in 8th grade physical science?
Also, the “soot”, which is mostly carbon, will melt at about 4500K at a pressure of about 106 atmospheres. Otherwise, it just sublimates, so no bread melting under atmospheric conditions, even in the loosest of defitions.
Honestly, I really remember learning about chemical changes vs. physical changes in 8th grade. Was I weird?

By: jleedev

jleedev — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:22:55 +0000

Ok, obviously you char and burn it and it’s no longer bread. But after that, you’re left with soot which actually never melts, no matter how hot you get it. In my opinion, scientists and engineers are the ones who overthink things, and this is exactly the sort of questions they should ask.

By: actuaryoftriumph

actuaryoftriumph — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:14:06 +0000

Well, in that upon heating, bread forms a novel substance scientists have
classified as “toast” and as anyone who's burned toast knows, bread
decomposes and combusts rather than melting.
Terry Robinson

By: jleedev

jleedev — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:00:23 +0000

Is that a stupid question? If you change it to “Why doesn’t bread melt?” then I think it takes more than a semester of chemistry to understand it. I can come up with two possible reasons:

1. It ceases to be bread long before anything starts to melt.
2. It turns to carbon, which, at atmospheric pressure, sublimes instead of melting.

By: jleedev

jleedev — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:01:40 +0000

(And I haven’t taken ochem, but I do see why it was a stupid question in that context.)

By: jleedev

jleedev — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:01:40 +0000

(And I haven’t taken ochem, but I do see why it was a stupid question in that context.)

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Oh, and the people in an intro ochem class have already had a least two semesters of college level chemistry.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Oh, and the people in an intro ochem class have already had a least two semesters of college level chemistry.