If the formula for water is H2O, is the formula for an ice cube H2O squared?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- This plays on the confusion between chemical formulas and mathematical squaring to highlight absurdity.
- In plain terms
- Tomlin jokes that if water is H2O, ice might be H2O squared.
- What can you take from it?
- Use humor to highlight logical absurdities in science.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you simplify complex ideas?
- Where is the line between fun and fact?
Another view
The joke relies on a misunderstanding of chemistry.
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