Incase anyone has been following my exploits...

[rsdoran]

Y'all are making me crazy. I just put in my application to the University of Alabama in Birmingham...geez I am 51.

 

[bwheat]

Thermo... All I remember about thermo was the answer was probably in the steam tables somewhere...

 

[Ron Beaufort]

you can't always believe what you see ...

it’s a slow day ... I just wanted to say that I got a big kick out of the “frog-in-the-beaker” story in this post ... it brought something to mind that (sort of) fits in with the “thermodynamics” subject going on here ...

question: which will freeze faster ... a pan of cold water ... or a pan of warm water? ...

the obvious (and correct) answer is, of course, the pan of cold water ... BUT ... there is (or at least there USED TO BE) a simple way to “prove” that the pan of warm water would freeze faster ... or so the story goes ...

the idea is that two identical aluminum ice trays would be filled with equal amounts of water ... one tray with cool water ... the other tray with warm water ... then the two trays would be placed side-by-side in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator ... sure enough, the warm-water tray would freeze solid much faster ... the unexpected results of this experiment were said to baffle many highly educated scholars ...

the trick: this used to work (I’ve been told) with the old-style freezers which were NOT frost-free ... unlike the ones which we all know today ... the heat exchanger (the part that actually gets cold) in these freezers was actually the sides - and the bottom - and the top of the freezer compartment itself ... and moisture from the air would cause frost (that fuzzy looking white stuff) to form in a thick layer on these cold parts ... so ...

when you put the cold pan of water in the freezer, the pan just sort of sat there on top of the layer of fuzzy white frost ... the frost (actually the tiny air pockets within the frost) acted as an insulator between the bottom of the pan and the very cold heat exchanger ...

but when you put the warm pan of water in the freezer, the heat from the pan would (temporarily) melt the layer of fuzzy white frost ... when the frost quickly froze back again, it formed a highly efficient “bridge” that was an excellent conductor of heat between the bottom of the pan and the very cold heat exchanger ...

and so ... the heat from the warm water was able to flow (by means of conduction) much more rapidly into the freezer’s heat exchanger ... and the water in this pan quickly got down to freezing temperature ...

but the heat from the cool water was only able to flow (by means of convection) much more slowly into the cold air of the freezer compartment ... and so the water in this pan took much longer to freeze ...

or so the story goes ...

 

[testsubject]

Good one Ron. When I was younger we had one of those kinds of freezer and all we ever used were aluminum trays so that explains a lot.

 

[CT782]

rsdoran,

Don't let your age affect your decision to go back to school. Not sure if you have a 2 year degree you want to pursue to BS level or are starting from scratch. I'm 30 and just enrolled to complete my BSEE. What you have to think about is, in 4 years you're going to be 55 anyway, you'll still be working unless you've stashed a hefty retirement fund away. This could open doors for you that allow you to spend the rest of your working years in any technical role you desire. I think you will do very well from reading your posts.
I have met alot of folks over 30 who are going back to school, I think it's great. You've been in the real world, you know what you want to do, you're motivated and experienced, that's why you usually are the straight A students the 18 and 20 year olds envy so much.
Just my 2 cents worth.

Chris

 

[rsdoran]

I have a 2 year degree so I am hoping to CLEP a few courses, take summer classes and try to get it down to 2-3 yrs.

I have spent the majority of today filling out paperwork. I forgot all the stuff involved with admittance and financing. I got a late start so not sure if I can start in Jan when I wanted too, hoping if I get everything setup I can at least audit some classes to prepare myself for going back to school.

Thanks.

 

[CaseyK]

I would like to go back to school and pick up a major in Paper Shuffling and a minor in Meetings.

regards.....casey

 

[testsubject]

I would like to go back to school and pick up a major in Paper Shuffling and a minor in Meetings.

regards.....casey

I got a Master's in that a long time ago (Ex-Navy)