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Doubt about Density

  1. Feb 12, 2007 #1
    I love marvel, and recently comic book writers are trying to give us scientific explanations about how their powers work. I'm a fan of density controllers, hence my name, so I'm trying to understand Will O' The Wisp ability:

    I deleted some parts that are not required for this.

    The, in order to raise his density, he has to push its molecules closer together. If so, his volume decreases as his mass increases, giving it balance so the density remains unchanged.
    And I think the same thing applies to intangibility as the opposite.

    Is Will O' The Wisp's explanation accurate?
  2. jcsd
  3. Feb 12, 2007 #2
    The concepts do not have any basis in physical reality and so it is not possible to give any sort of explanation that is in any way accurate.

    Bodies are mostly made of water and it is possible to make water denser and even turn solid by compressing it at room temeperature but this requires the water to be contained within a very strong pressure vessel and the subjection of enormous pressures many thousands of times greater than atmospheric pressure and much greater than the pressure to be found at the bottom of the deepest ocean trench.
  4. Feb 12, 2007 #3
    His mass stays the same unless he sheds molecules.
    Besides, your ascertation that 'his volume decreases as his mass increases, giving it balance so the density remains unchanged.' is incorrect.


    So if you increase mass and/or decrease volume the density will increase.
  5. Feb 12, 2007 #4


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    That depends the way you look at it. If you for example chop pieces of an object, it's mass and volume decreases while density remains the same.
  6. Feb 12, 2007 #5
    yes but note I said increase mass whilst decreasing volume. The scenario you highlighted would involve a decrease in mass.... not the same thing. You get that?
  7. Feb 12, 2007 #6
    I know, but we can give a "what if explanation". What if we could, in that case, control the sub-atomic electromagnetic particles?

    Yeah you're right, I was aware of my mistake at school. But the only reason for his density to increase is to inscrease his mass, so his volume must remains the same, because his body don't become smaller.
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2007

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