A Test of
Critical Analysis Skills
by Todd Elder
This is a short test of a person's ability to reason out and make an analysis of what they are studying or reading. Things to watch for is whether or not it seems to be factual, if it presents both sides of the issue, or if it is presented in a non-biased manner. I am going to describe a substance and ask a question at the end to see what you think about it.
The Test
Dihydrogen Monoxide Dihydrogen monoxide is a dangerous chemical that is used heavily in manufacturing. Prolonged contact with it in a solid form can cause severe tissue damage. Exposure to an overabundance of it in the liquid form will cause death. In the gaseous state it can cause severe burns. It is largely unregulated as it is allowed to be dumped into rivers and streams in its pure form.
Hydrogen Hydroxide Hydrogen hydroxide has the same chemical properties as dihydrogen monoxide and is a naturally ocurring substance. For manufacturing purposes, it is typically cheap, abundantly available, and will not pollute the environment.
The Question My question for you is ... should we ban dihydrogen monoxide?
The Answer
Characteristics of Water Water is a very interesting substance. It is usually cheap, it is abundant on the surface of the earth, occurs naturally, and is not considered a pollutant. Yet it is a chemical of some extremes. When it is frozen into snow or ice, prolonged exposure will make us suffer from frostbite. If we are exposed to large quantity of water, such as being stuck in the middle of a lake one could likely die by drowning. When we come into contact with steam we can receive a burn. Also, as long as it is not contaminated, people can dump it just about anywhere. Sound familiar?
Chemistry of Water Water is commonly known as H20. That means it contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom and can be written as dihydrogen monoxide. Chemically it is a hydrogen atom (H) and a hydroxide molecule (OH) bound together which is more precisesly written as hydrogen hydroxide (HOH).
Being Careful
Examination When we encounter something that someone is selling or teaching, we need to start analyzing what is in front of us. It is far too easy to misrepresent things while still technically saying the truth. Even worse is when someone would lie intentionally. When dealing with either science or theology, we must be careful to check the facts, discern what is only a theory, and look for a bias that might effect the outcome of interpreting data whether intentional or accidental. In this simple quiz, the main problem was a bias of not wanting one substance while wanting another. Word choice played an important part in making the first chemical sound bad while the second sounded good even though in both cases it was the same substance.
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