Asked by DeadlySword 38 months ago

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If an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, what happens?


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"There would be an endless transfer of energy"

 by pbrfan on Dec 02 2006 (38 months ago)
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Isaac Asimov answered this question rather neatly, I thought. I can't remember in which of his many books I read it (it was a long time ago), but the gist of his argument was this: A universe in which there exists such a thing as an irresistible force is, by definition, a universe which cannot also contain an immovable object. And a universe which contains an immovable object cannot, by definition, also contain an irresistible force. So the question is essentially meaningless: either the force is irresistible or the object is immovable, but not both.

This was my first introduction to philosophy. It was also my first introduction to the notion that ideas which are actually incoherent, when analysed, can nevertheless be extremely useful metaphors. I can think of no better way to describe some encounters between two-year-olds and their mothers, for example.
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The correct set-up would be "What would happen if an immovable object were confronted with an unstoppable force." We will have to further define out unstoppable force as having infinite momemtum (right?) and the immovable object having infinite inertia (right.) Therefore, our unstoppable force would have an infinite energy (measure this in joules/calories/whatever) and the unstoppable force would be able to absorb infinite energy.

There would be an endless transfer of energy.

The two would appear as if they are resting, but are actually transferring their infinite energies from one to the other. Equilibrium or a relation would never be establieshed since we're dealing in the infinite regarding energy.



Sources: http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=738818
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"An inelastic collision"

 by rma212 on Dec 02 2006 (38 months ago)
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You can't have just a "force", an agent is required. Hence, when an object with a large force (hence momentum) meets, or collides with, an immovable object, kinetic energy is not conserved (note: energy is conserved, but KINETIC energy is not - in other words, KE is partly converted to other forms of energy such as heat and sound), but momentum is preserved, with the effect of the immovable object breaking up into smaller pieces and flying off in different directions - with the momentum of each piece adding up to the original total momentum.
Sources: High school physics
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"Something's gotta give, something's gotta give, something's gotta give..."

 by prettyface on Dec 02 2006 (38 months ago)
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When an irresistible force such as you
Meets and old immovable object like me
You can bet as sure as you live
Something's gotta give, something's gotta give,
Something's gotta give.

When an irrepressible smile such as yours
Warms an old implacable heart such as mine
Don't say no because I insist.
Somewhere, somehow,
Someone's gonna be kissed.

So en garde who knows what the fates have in store
From their vast mysterious sky?
I'll try hard ignoring those lips I adore
But how long can anyone try?

Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight it with all of our might,
Chances are some heavenly star spangled night
We'll find out as sure as we live
Something's gotta give, something's gotta give,
Something's gotta give.

Fight, fight, fight it with all of our might,
Chances are some heavenly star spangled night
We'll find out as sure as we live
Something's gotta give, something's gotta give,
Something's gotta give.
Something's gotta , something's gotta give

Sources: Johnny Mercer, Ella Fitzgerald...my head.

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Doesn't get any better than Ella.
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"It's irrelevant"

 by BrainBuilder_is_gone on Dec 02 2006 (38 months ago)
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The saying is an irresistable force.The two things you've listed are basically the same thing.
Sources: Deductive reasoning
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"Um.."

 by COOKIE on Dec 02 2006 (38 months ago)
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I've always thought there was just a big explosion....
Sources: My thoughts...
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That implies that the question itself is wrong. It is not even unanswerable.
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