Posted by JRM on October 04, 2000 at 16:03:13:
In Reply to: Re: Let's debate more minutia posted by Eins on October 04, 2000 at 13:23:41:
Is such a horrible word. But it's the one we're discussing here, so I'll attempt to define it.
If we consider the increase in density as "compression", then I'd have to say that water "compresses" because inter-molecular distances decrease with temperature.
If we think of it in the terms of gas mechanics, while not 100% accurate, we generally allow that liquids do not "compress" because inter-molecular distances do not decrease with increases in pressure (I know, but this isn't grad level) as a gas would. (And yes, a gas is technically a liquid, but we're talking water here). So in those terms some solids would "compress". It would be more accurate to say they strain, rather than compress.
I don't have any figures to back me up, but back-of-the-napkin figures would seem that the volume of the sinus and eustachian tubes would be greater than the volume of bubbles in crushed neoprene (the sinuses are big). I'm excluding the lungs because they're variable (although we could count dead airspaces). I figure the increase in mass (because of the increase in density) of those spaces is greater than the decrease in density of the pore spaces of crushed neoprene. So the compression of crushed neoprene isn't a factor, because it's outweighed by other, slightly less insignficant changes :-)
JRM
OK, I'm really bored now. Ever notice everyone wants everything for free?