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Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 17:36:28 -0500 From: ghio@temp0200.myriad.ml.org (Matthew Ghio) Subject: Re: Interesting Chemical Reaction

Here's something to ponder:

Consider two objects initially at the same temperature. One is at the focus of a hemispherical mirror. An elliptical mirror with both objects at its foci encloses the remaining space.

Because of the spherical mirror, the first object reabsorbs most of its heat lost by radiation, but most of the second object's radiated heat is reflected upon the first. Hence the first object becomes warmer relative to the second.

The entropy here appears to decrease, but according to thermodynamics that is impossible. Can anyone explain how it is that the total entropy would not decrease?

Because the thermodynamics assume a *closed* model. The base assumption of your model is that it is closed. This means that not only the mirror, and the two focii are in the system, but also the light source. When taken as a whole the entropy is constant. Now if you allow the light to pass through the mirror from outside an initial axiomatic assumption, a closed system, is broken. This is the reason that thermodynamic arguments against evolution fail, the Earth is most certainly *not* a closed system. ____________________________________________________________________ | | | The most powerful passion in life is not love or hate, | | but the desire to edit somebody elses words. | | | | Sign in Ed Barsis' office | | | | _____ The Armadillo Group | | ,::////;::-. Austin, Tx. USA | | /:'///// ``::>/|/ http://www.ssz.com/ | | .', |||| `/( e\ | | -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- Jim Choate | | ravage@ssz.com | | 512-451-7087 | |____________________________________________________________________|