Lessons from Common Things

Lessons from Common Things By Dr. Franklin S. Harris, President of Brigham Young University 1. WATER THINGS which seem to be most wonderful, if observed fre- quently enough, become commonplace. This is probably the reason why we cease to be awed by some of the objects sur- rounding us which in reality have remarkable qualities. There are people who are scarcely conscious of the many things surrounding them, which make up their environment. They are willing to accept the universe as having come to us by accident, or perhaps they do no speculating as to how it all came about. I wish to have the reader do a little thinking on the subject by having him look care- fully at some of the most common substances which surround us. Probably no substance enters more into our daily lives than water. At the same time there is nothing which should challenge our wonder more than this ever-present fluid. Let us investigate this ordinary, colorless, almost tasteless liquid. In the first place, no life whatever could exist without it. It is necessary to every living cell. No part of any animal or plant body could remain alive, nor could it function or grow, without the presence of water. It is Nature's universal solvent, and it has many properties which make it indis- pensable. We all know how necessary it is for us to drink water regularly, how it is used as a medium in which to cook food, how it serves to produce crops, to convey commerce, and to serve man in many capacities. Many of us. however, are not acquainted with some of its other properties which make it particularly valuable in connection with life on the earth. The property spoken of as specific heat is of great interest. Water has the ability to absorb more heat in changing one degree of temperature than any other common substance. Ordinary soil holds only two-tenths and iron one-tenth as much heat as water; and for a given volume, water will hold more than 300 times as much heat as air. This property makes water unusually valuable in preventing rapid climatic changes, and also in regulating the heat of the body. These are so important that it would be very dif- ficult for people to live on the earth if the specific heat of water were not high. Then take the property of latent heat. Water at the boiling point stores up more than five times as much heat in evaporating as it requires to change its temperature from freezing to the boiling point.

214 IMPROVEMENT ERA If it did not have this property of storing large quantities of latent heat we should constantly find ourselves in very serious difficulties. As soon as water reached the boiling point it would all be evaporated into steam, whereas with its present property the steam makes a great reservoir for heat and thereby keeps the water from all boiling away with explosive rapidity. Likewise, when a pound of water freezes, it gives off enough latent heat to do the work required in lifting 55 tons to a height of one foot, or conversely when ice melts, that quantity of heat is ab- sorbed. This storage of latent heat in changing from ice to water and from water to steam is one of the great safety valves of the world. If there were no latent heat of freezing and vaporization it would probably be impossible for people to live on the earth. As soon as the temperature of the air reached the freezing point, all the water would immediately become solid. Also, in the spring, as soon as the temperature of the air rose above the freezing point all the ice would melt at once and there would be terrible floods everywhere. Another very useful property which water has is what is called its temperature of least expansion. There is a general maxim that heat expands and cold contracts. This applies to water, along with other substances, until just before the water reaches the freezing point, when it expands instead of continuing to contract. This means that ice is lighter than water which is near the freezing point and that ice will therefore float. If water continued to contract as it became colder, as the other substances do, imagine what might happen. As soon as the freezing temperature were reached and ice were formed, it would immediately sink to the bottom instead of remaining at the top and more ice would be formed and fall to the bottom. This would result in the complete freezing of the water in lakes and rivers, killing fish and other aquatic life, diverting rivers from their channels and leaving the ice at the bottom where it would require long periods to melt again. But with this wonderful property which water has, the ice remains over the surface and protects the remainder of the water from freezing and thereby prevents many disastrous conditions. If space permitted, we might go on at considerable length dis- cussing vapor tension, surface tension, chemical neutrality, and the other properties of water which make it a substance useful to all plants and animals. We need but to think of latent heat and the high specific heat of water, as well as its temperature of maximum density, to realize that if water did not have these peculiar and unusual properties it would not be possible for any person to live on the earth. It is a little difficult to understand how people who have made a

LESSONS FROM COMMON THINGS 215 study of nature, particularly persons who have a scientific turn of mind, can know these things and at the same time believe that the wonderful harmony was brought about by a mere accident of nature. The more I study nature and go into the properties of matter, and especially some of the very common substances, the more am I led to the conviction that it is preposterous to consider any of these to be merely accidental. Certainly, there must be a great intelligence in the universe; certainly this intelligence has been operating through countless ages to discover law and to put into operation laws that make possible life and development on the earth. It seems to me that the least we, who are favored by the many blessings of the earth, can do is to feel reverence for the Ruler who made possible this harmony. Only a very egotistical person would fail to be impressed by the fact that even the common things of the world have been planned and are guided by a Master Intelligence. Winter's Many Blessings Winter many blessings leaves, Though the winds do fiercely blow, Loudly howling in our hills, Tossing here and there the snow, Filling up the deep ravines. It is there reserved in store, Safely kept for future use, In the hills, God's reservoir. Though the winter may be long, It brings blessings manifold, Greater treasure to us all, More so than all mines of gold. Without frosty, glistening snow, All our farming would be vain. It gives water for our crops When in summer we need rain. Rivulets from melting snow, Rushing over cliffs they run. Soon they form a mighty stream, When they gather into one. Dashing o'er the rocky steeps, Down the canyon now they pour, Work of God we surely see In our hills, his reservoir. Sandy, Utah DAVID ARCHIBM.3