Salt makes you thirsty. The homeopathic cure is a 13C dilution of salt. This is a 10013 = 1026 dilution.
Since there are on the order of 6.2 x 1023 molecules in a mole, the probability of finding a salt molecule in such a dilution of pure salt would be on the order of 6.2 x 10-3.
This assumes, of course, that the water itself is completely pure.
Frank J · 30 June 2009
What do they dilute it with? I hope it's not that very toxic solvent DHMO. ;-)
Henry J · 30 June 2009
Huh. dihydrogen monoxide with a trace of monosodium monochloride. Who'd have thought of that!
Henry J
Dave Luckett · 30 June 2009
Hmm. A mole of water weighs, I believe, about 18gms - the molecular weight of water being 18 and a smidge - and 18 gms of water at room temperature takes up a convenient 18 cc. Therefore a half-litre of water - which would be enough to cure most thirsts, though not that of my Uncle Lennie, who was a special case - would be 27.7 or thereabouts moles. With this concentration of sodium chloride, the probability of both a sodium cation and a chlorine anion being found in that amount of water is therefore (6.2x10^-3)x27.7= 0.17174. Call it around a 17% chance that there would be one molecule of salt in the solution.
Cripes, you'd get more salt than that in the purest distilled water sample you ever saw in your life.
I thought homeopaths also dilute stuff down with alcohol. Hmm. I guess it would work too.
wamba · 1 July 2009
This seems to me not to be a cure, since it does not permanently rid one of the condition. It would be more accurate to talk about a homeopathic treatment for thirst.
wamba said:
This seems to me not to be a cure, since it does not permanently rid one of the condition. It would be more accurate to talk about a homeopathic treatment for thirst.
Naw, it's a cure, but the re-infection rate approaches 100%.
Henry J · 2 July 2009
Water water everywhere...
Kevin B · 2 July 2009
Henry J said:
Water water everywhere...
But is it Fresh?
Klaus Hellnick · 5 July 2009
Mike Elzinga said:
Hee hee; that’s funny.
Salt makes you thirsty. The homeopathic cure is a 13C dilution of salt. This is a 10013 = 1026 dilution.
Since there are on the order of 6.2 x 1023 molecules in a mole, the probability of finding a salt molecule in such a dilution of pure salt would be on the order of 6.2 x 10-3.
This assumes, of course, that the water itself is completely pure.
Salt is an ionic compound. The chance of finding a table salt "molecule" is therefore exactly 0.
Henry J · 6 July 2009
Maybe if you vaporize the salt first and then look for a molecule? :)
Mike Elzinga · 6 July 2009
Klaus Hellnick said:
Salt is an ionic compound. The chance of finding a table salt "molecule" is therefore exactly 0.
Yup; that is technically correct, and I caught it immediately after I hit the Submit button. But then I figured someone would probably notice and comment.
But the homeopathic "cure" is still funny; and the probability of finding the "constituents" of the salt molecule (namely the sodium and clorine ions) is still pretty low.
On the other hand, drinking that much water to do a 13C dilution of a mole of salt would pretty well flush out all of one's electrolytes; not to mention drowning the person. ;-)
Mike Elzinga · 6 July 2009
Klaus Hellnick said:
Salt is an ionic compound. The chance of finding a table salt "molecule" is therefore exactly 0.
I also got Avogadro's number wrong by a little bit.
I would like to propose not to hold off until you earn enough amount of money to order goods! You should get the personal loans or bank loan and feel yourself free
15 Comments
Mike Elzinga · 30 June 2009
Hee hee; that’s funny.
Salt makes you thirsty. The homeopathic cure is a 13C dilution of salt. This is a 10013 = 1026 dilution.
Since there are on the order of 6.2 x 1023 molecules in a mole, the probability of finding a salt molecule in such a dilution of pure salt would be on the order of 6.2 x 10-3.
This assumes, of course, that the water itself is completely pure.
Frank J · 30 June 2009
What do they dilute it with? I hope it's not that very toxic solvent DHMO. ;-)
Henry J · 30 June 2009
Huh. dihydrogen monoxide with a trace of monosodium monochloride. Who'd have thought of that!
Henry J
Dave Luckett · 30 June 2009
Hmm. A mole of water weighs, I believe, about 18gms - the molecular weight of water being 18 and a smidge - and 18 gms of water at room temperature takes up a convenient 18 cc. Therefore a half-litre of water - which would be enough to cure most thirsts, though not that of my Uncle Lennie, who was a special case - would be 27.7 or thereabouts moles. With this concentration of sodium chloride, the probability of both a sodium cation and a chlorine anion being found in that amount of water is therefore (6.2x10^-3)x27.7= 0.17174. Call it around a 17% chance that there would be one molecule of salt in the solution.
Cripes, you'd get more salt than that in the purest distilled water sample you ever saw in your life.
Good heavens! Could this be some sort of joke?
wicker · 1 July 2009
that is hysterical.
Bob O'H · 1 July 2009
I thought homeopaths also dilute stuff down with alcohol. Hmm. I guess it would work too.
wamba · 1 July 2009
This seems to me not to be a cure, since it does not permanently rid one of the condition. It would be more accurate to talk about a homeopathic treatment for thirst.
RBH · 1 July 2009
Henry J · 2 July 2009
Water water everywhere...
Kevin B · 2 July 2009
Klaus Hellnick · 5 July 2009
Henry J · 6 July 2009
Maybe if you vaporize the salt first and then look for a molecule? :)
Mike Elzinga · 6 July 2009
Mike Elzinga · 6 July 2009
JohnLANE · 20 July 2010
I would like to propose not to hold off until you earn enough amount of money to order goods! You should get the personal loans or bank loan and feel yourself free