Re: Interesting Chemical Reaction (fwd)

Forwarded message:

> 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.


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Jim Choate wrote:

> 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.

Assume that the mirrors completely surround the objects, and that the only
light source is IR thermal radiation, and that the mirrors are insulated
from the outsite world, so we can assume a closed system.

By the laws of optics, one focus should get warmer than the other, but by
the law of entropy they must remain at the same temperature.  That's the
paradox.