What can we learn from a vodka and tonic?

Its amazing what you can glean from a simple experiment.

Take this one for example! ("Oh, thanks - don't mind if I do!").

In order to make this experiment fully repeatable this is the method I used.

Materials

Long day, sunny, with quite a bit of time sat in a car
Cool evening
Glass
Four cubes of ice
Half a lime
Large slug of vodka
Enough tonic water to fill the glass

Method

Sit on the patio and drink it.

Results

The purpose of the experiment is to demonstrate the concepts of phase transition. It really is most important that you try it for yourself, and not just take my word for it.

In your glass in front of you is ice and a liquid, a large percentage of which is water so we can ignore any other secondary ingredients. Eventually, unless you live somewhere colder than Dorset, the ice will melt and become water. But watch it carefully and think about it. The ice is ice and stays ice and remains ice until suddenly some of it transitions into water.

So what can we learn from my vodka and tonic?

Is it possible for two states, ice and water or it could equally be traditional Church and new Church, to co-exist? Well yes I suppose it is, although the environment within which they exist will dictate whether, over time, the two separate states will become one. What does not happen is that the two states combine into some mysterious third state; totally water or totally ice is the only true equillibrium state that can be sustained without outside intervention.

Having said that, the two states combine together to make a cracking drink!

Comments

[maggi]

I like the theory. Feel sure it would have worked better with a Bombay Sapphire though.