Posted by Eins on October 04, 2000 at 13:23:41:
In Reply to: Let's debate more minutia posted by JRM on October 04, 2000 at 12:00:32:
Your points are well taken.
BTW, the Meter in Sèvre was defined at a certain temperature (was it 14.5 or 20°C?) for exactly that reason. But I guess with today's more precise measuring systems, it has to be the distance light not only travels but travels in a vacuum during 1/299792458 second. Like you said, a meter.
More interesting for me is what you say about water. Leaving temperature aside, you are saying that water can't be compressed. That would be what I believed. For some reason, in my understanding of the English word "compression", I always saw that in connection with pressure (in kp/cm²), not with temperature. And in this understanding, I'd expect solid rubber not to compress.
Well, if crushed neoprene still contains some degree of bubbles, it will, of course, compress to some degree. How big is the degree, though? And what are the effects on a diver, in pounds of buoyancy?
Eins
PS: Has Elvis been sighted yet?