Chapter 2: Alchemy's Law of Limited Potential Energy
Thanks to the following reviewers and other reviewers not listed:
Basser
Darthliger
Ebonystar191
Solo8Introduction: I found that several people actually enjoyed the explanation behind alchemy, and some stated that it was a unique way of writing a fanfiction. When I read other stories in I found it was always cool for an author to acknowledge the reviewers. It makes me think, "He/she read my review and acknowledged what I wrote." I have heard that it was against the rules to say "thank you" to the reviewers and write a small sentence in response to their review. I have looked into the rules of fanfiction and found that there is no such rule (at least I did not see one), but for the sake of rules, I only posted up only a portion of the reviewers for certain reasons I wish not to mention, but I will not say anything in response to their review. I'm sorry if some of the reviewers feel left out.
I have been notified by sidhe3141 that there were no instructions on the circles. I only remember reading some words that was on the circle of the dvd cover, but I will take into consideration that words on the circle have no effect on the circle. Thanks.
Also, I have been told by Basser that alchemists can control how fast air particles can move, but I had the exact opposite in mind. Humans cannot control science, but we can use the laws we learned to help improve our own lifestyles and advance. Though, there will be an exception to this, but it won't be on how alchemists can control the particles in the air.
Yes, I completely contradicted myself in responding to reviewers, but these two reviews pertained to the laws of alchemy in my story, and taking into account what they say will greatly change the future laws later on in the story.
Now, for a less formal paragraph, I can say with confidence now that there are other crazy science kids out there! Probably some crazier about science than me. XD I hope you like it!
Lab #3: Alchemy's Limited Potential Energy (Part I and II) (Inserted Lab) Lab #4: Informal Alchemy's Instructions in Relation to GravityLab #5: Alternative Energy Sources
Lab #6: Alchemy's Quick Circle Energy Output (Advanced Alchemists Only)
-------------------------------------
"Ed!" Al yelled as both of us fell to the ground while our hands were still suctioned to the floor, unmoved.
We felt weak and the plunge of gravity held our bodies against the ground. We couldn't move an inch. Finally, after the alchemy process had completed, we remained motionless, anticipating and predicting another wave of ground crushing gravity to greet us once we got up. Feeling sure of myself, I lifted my hands from the ground and slowly got up.
Lab #3: Alchemy's Limited Potential EnergyLab #3A: Alchemy's Limited Potential Energy Part I
Materials: white chalk, two people, 50 pounds of clay
Hypothesis: Because the area of the alchemy circle determines how much energy can be put to work, a circle with an area of 100 feet in diameter will have an enormous amount of energy to change the shape of the clay. We expect little or no wind as a result of the excess energy. There will be no excess energy.
Purpose: We are trying to change the clay shape, making a 50 pound block of clay turn into the figure of a triangle. To change the block to a specific shape may take more energy for the particles to follow the instructions on the circle.
Procedure:
In a big room, or outside on concrete – somewhere suitable for chalk to draw on – recreate the Alchemy circle with the diameter of 100 feet.
Write down your purpose: "Turn the block of clay into the shape of a triangle."
Make sure that the temperature is not too hot or too cold.
Make sure that the environment does not hold many organic creatures.
Proceed the alchemy procedure.
Record any Data or Observations.
---------------------------
"Al!" I ran over to him and flipped him over. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. What happened? Is the block a triangle now?"
We both looked at the center of the circle and the clay block was gone. We ran the 50 feet radius to reach the center and found the clay was pressed flat onto the ground.
---------------------------
Observations: The clay had been pressed down against the ground. We felt extreme pressure pressing down on us as the alchemy process had occurred. There was wind, but because we had done this outside for consideration that the energy from the alchemy process may injure someone else in the house, we are not sure if the wind was part of nature or from the alchemy process. There was water on the ground. The clay was wet.
Conclusions: The energy from the air particles had been used up to flatten the clay. The particles had been reduced to such a slow speed, it became liquid and rained on the circle. There is no limit to the potential energy in the alchemy circle.
Lab #3B: Alchemy's Limited Potential Energy Part IIMaterials: white chalk, two people, three clay blocks with dimensions (10 by 10 by 10 feet), three clay blocks each weighing 50 pounds
Hypothesis: There will be even more energy exerted from the alchemy process and the clay block will flatten. There is water to be present in the process. 1000 kilojoules is to be expected from the process.
Purpose: We will figure out how much energy an Alchemy Circle will produce when we draw the circle at 50 feet, 100 feet, and 110 feet in diameter.
Procedure:
Choose an environment in which you can reproduce the Alchemy Circle and no wind is present.
Draw the Alchemy Circle at 50 feet in diameter, with the instructions "Turn the block of clay into the shape of a triangle".
Set up the 10X10X10 foot block of clay directly behind the alchemists.
Proceed with the alchemy process.
Repeat steps 1-4 with alchemy circle diameters of 100 feet and 110 feet. Remember to place a new 50 pound block of clay in the center for each new diameter measure.
Record any Data or Observations between the change of each diameter of the alchemy circle.
Take measurements of the clay block behind the alchemists and figure out the number of kilojoules each of the diameters of the circle produced.
Discard all materials that are hazardous or dangerous.
----------------------------
POW!
"What was that!" I yelled as the clay in the center was crushed again onto the floor. I looked behind me, and the block of clay looked as though it was being punched by an invisible fist. Each fistful of energy from the alchemy process was taking a pounding onto the clay block.
"Ed! It's going to fall!" Alfonse yelled over all the noise the alchemy circle was making. "Ed!" he yelled before the 1000 pound clay fell on top of us, crushing us under all its weight.
We tried to run, but our hands were suctioned onto the floor. It was impossible to run.
I felt the weight of the clay on top of me, and I couldn't breathe. All this for science, and I end up dying before I can discover any more secrets of alchemy? The clay had closed off all noise the alchemy circle was making. As to whether my hands were still suctioned to the circle, I could not tell. It was 50 feet diameter circle. If it was 100 or even 110 feet, the potential from those diameters may have enough energy to take this block of clay off the ground.
I was thinking of ways to save myself before I lose consciousness. I had no air to breathe, and I finally passed out.
-----------------------------
Observations: Our data is inaccurate, and we must repeat the 50 feet diameter experiment again before we proceed to 100 and 110 feet diameters. The clay block at the center is still flat on the ground. I do not think that the instructions on the circle are being followed. I think that they are useless to the alchemy process.
-----------------------------
Alfonse closed the lab book and looked at me.
"That's all you wrote?" I asked.
If it weren't for Alfonse, I would not have survived.
"Tell me, how did you get out of 1000 pounds of clay!" I asked.
"Well, after the clay block went on top of us, the part of the clay that landed on me was a part that the energy from the circle pounded, so I had space to breathe. My hand was stuck under a part that wasn't pounded yet, but I just wriggled it out. I scraped the clay until I got out, then remembering that you were only about two feet away from me, I just dug until I got you," he smiled.
"But…but you must have dug through 10 feet of clay!" I said still surprised. "How did you…"
"I dug diagonally. Yeah, it took longer, but it's not like I dug 10 feet straight up. Then, how would I get out? I can't climb up 10 feet, so I dug diagonally so I could climb sideways."
"How could you have dug quick enough to save me?"
"I don't know. But our data is messed up."
"Oh, Al, I don't think that we should even try to do that experiment again."
"Why not?"
"Because," I started, "the block of clay will just kill us again."
"But, Ed," he said, "who said that all the energy from the alchemy process went in the direction of where the alchemists were?"
"Because of the second lab! Remember? The only thing that fell was the vase, and the wind knocked down the vase, but not the other things around it."
"But there wasn't anything else around the circle that could drop. Just the vase, and the vase happened to be behind us. The other stuff around the circle were tables and brooms. Nothing that can break easily."
I hated it whenever Al was right. "So where are you going with this?"
"If what I think is correct, that the energy from the alchemy process exits in all directions of the circle, then if we place the block of clay somewhere else far from us, like on the other side of the circle, then we won't get crushed!"
I stared wide-eyed at him, then said, "Well, you had time to think about it. That's why you got it!"
"Hey!" Al said. "You're just jealous that I figured this out first!"
I smiled at him. "I know. I'm just kidding. Good job." Then I headed out first to go back to our lab.
We repeated the procedure again with all diameters: 50, 100, and 110 feet and to our luck, none of the 1000 pound blocks fell, which makes calculations easier.
---------------------------
Data:
50 foot diameter in alchemy circle yielded 50 foot area total (area of the pounded parts of the clay) on the 10X10X10 foot block of clay.
100 foot diameter in alchemy circle yielded 100 foot area total (area of the pounded parts of the clay) on the 10X10X10 foot block of clay.
110 foot diameter in alchemy circle yielded 100 foot area total (area of the pounded parts of the clay) on the 10X10X10 foot block of clay.
---------------------------
"What? How come 110 foot diameter only gave 100 feet?" I asked surprised.
"Maybe it's the limit."
"Probably, but this is just the area of the clay block."
We converted the area of the blocks of clay pounded into kilojoules. Because the 10x10x10 clay block only takes up 10 feet of the circumference of the circle, we figured out the circumference of the circle, then divided the total kilojoules by the 10 feet, giving us a total of the number of kJ/1 foot. Then we multiplied that number of kJ with the circumference of the circle, thus, getting the number of kJ exerted from the whole alchemy circle.
-----------------------
Calculations: Not even going to describe the messy scribbles…
Conclusion: (These are not mathematically correct because I have no formula to translate the area of pounded clay in relation to calories and convert calories to kJ, so all these numbers are made up and fake.) The 50 foot diameter circle had exerted 1000 kJ. The 100 foot diameter circle exerted 1500 kJ and the 110 diameter circle had exerted 1500 kJ. The limit of the circle must be 1500 kJ. The circle has a limit because time may be in relation to the circle, in which every alchemy process lasts for about five to seven minutes, and never anymore. Each alchemy circle has a standard rate in which it takes energy from the gas particles in the air. Even though the 110 foot diameter had more gas particles compared to the 100 foot diameter, it still yielded the same amount of kJ. Alchemy has rejected any energy from gas particles that made up the extra 525pi area of the 110 foot diameter circle.
Alchemy's Law of Limited Potential Energy:
The Alchemy Circle can only reach to the maximum of 1500 kilojoules, in which any circle that exceeds the area of 2500pi or 100 feet diameter will only exert 1500 kJ of work. The Alchemy Circle can only take energy from a limited amount of gas particles.
---------------------------
"Do you feel proud, Al?" I asked with a big smile.
His smile mirrored mine. "Our first law."
"I hope this qualifies as a law," I contemplated.
"It's a law. Don't worry, Ed," he said. "Besides, we've learned so much, and we didn't get crushed by clay again."
"Thanks to you," I said with a smirk.
His smile grew bigger.
"Why do you think the alchemy circle did not listen to our instructions?" I asked.
"Maybe because the words on the circle do not do anything. Maybe, everything we put in the center gets crushed," he said.
"Maybe because of gravity?" I asked. "Then how can we do stuff like make a doll out of ashes? I've seen an alchemist do that one time!"
We both contemplated.
"Do you think we'll figure it out one day?" I asked him.
"I think so. We've gotten so far," he said. Sometimes, I think my brother is a source of confidence for me. Then again, he did save my life and figured out the block of clay problem.
"I still think that there is no limit to the Alchemy Circle," I said.
"Why not?"
"You have to think. Turning ashes to a doll. That takes more than 1500 kJ. You're changing the atoms to another element and combining the ashes into the structure of a doll. There's got to be more than a 100,000 kJ for that."
"Then where'd the alchemists get the extra kilojoules?" he asked.
"I don't know." I looked out the window, and the sun was setting. "Well, it's time to eat dinner."
"But Ed…"
"What?"
"We have to clean up all this clay!"
"Damn it!" I yelled and my mom cleaned my mouth with soap.
----------------------------
All of the following labs are postponed: (Inserted Lab) Lab #4: Informal Alchemy's Instructions in Relation to GravityLab #5: Alternative Energy Sources
Lab #6: Alchemy's Quick Circle Energy Output (Advanced Alchemists Only)
----------------------------
I still feel as though some reviewers are going to wonder why I don't post up their name, and I'm sorry.
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Ed and Al are tired to continue with the other labs. They will not post up new labs until they are done with the ones listed. Writing this story is a bit challenging because there are many rules that must be followed now that I have set them up, and they cannot contradict with one another.
I hope you review and tell me how I did on this chapter. It was fun writing about Ed and Al's experiences with the labs though, but the challenging part is making the conclusions, like all labs. Well, please review. I would like to see how well I did with this chapter.
Thanks to those who said that I should not delete this story.