Questions from the book Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonn
ID: 529031 • Letter: Q
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.