Questions from the book Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonn

Question

Questions from the book Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

- In this novel a scientist discovers a new form of solid H2O that is stable at room temperature.

- When a small crystal of this substance is introduced into the ocean it solidifies leading to the end of life on earth.

- The substance is known as Ice-9

Excerpt from the Book

- I closed my eyes

- There was a sound like that of a gentle closing of a portal as big as the sky, the great doors of heaven being softly closed

- It was a great AH-WHOOM.

- I opened my eyes and all the sea was ice-nine

- The moist green earth was a blue white pearl

- The sky darkened. Borassi, the sun, became a sickly yellow ball, tiny and cruel.

- The sky was filled with worms. The worms were tornadoes.

Properties of Ice-9

- Crystalline solid

- Molecules of H2O organized differently than normal H2O

- Melting point is 45.8oC

- A small crystal causes the entire ocean to solidify.

9. If we imagine that ice-nine really existed, is it possible that the ocean could be “instantly converted into ice-nine” as described by the author? What would happen to the temperature of the atmosphere?

Explanation / Answer

Given Melting point of Ice-9 is 45.8oC

The room temperature is 27 oC

So when we introduce small amount of Ice-9 to the ocean then all the ocean will solidifies as the room temperature is less than the melting point.

So the temperature of the atmosphere will suddenly decreases.

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