# How much does a second weigh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214 "2008-03-05T18:32:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/41 "2008-03-07T00:45:23Z")
Sheesh. Kids today. No grounding in the [classics](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfmvkO5x6Ng&feature=related). ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/42 "2008-03-07T01:07:27Z")
[QUOTE=Jragon] Dr. Seuss (or at least an imitation ;)) I’d reckon. [/QUOTE] Whoosh. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/43 "2008-03-07T03:14:02Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] Whoosh. :smack: [/QUOTE] Fine so I’ve never heard of Abbott and Costello, the farthest I go back is Harry Enfield (well, Monty Python but they don’t really count because of their widespreadnessitude) in regards to comedy. It sounds to me like somethign Dr. Seuss would write, sue me. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/44 "2008-03-07T06:34:39Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Substituting “Distance divided by Time” in the equation "E=MC2 and then solving for "Time = ", how much does a second weigh at sea level? [/QUOTE] A piece of string _this_\* colour. \*Hold your hands about _so_ far apart as you say this ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/45 "2008-03-07T19:35:27Z")
[QUOTE=bikebloke] Blue. [/QUOTE] Light blue or dark blue? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/46 "2008-03-07T19:45:55Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Light blue or dark blue? [/QUOTE] Dude, you’re not paying attention … it’s light blue or _heavy_ blue. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/47 "2008-03-07T19:59:52Z")
Ohh, I wanna play! If the rotation of Earth were to be reversed, how many pancakes could you fit on top of a doghouse? Green, because ice cream has no bones. (Taken from a “Fox Kids” magazine in the “Ask The Tick” section circa 15 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/48 "2008-03-07T21:03:27Z")
[QUOTE=Jragon] It sounds to me like somethign Dr. Seuss would write, sue me. [/QUOTE] Well, why not? You Seussed garygnu, he could counter-Seuss. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/49 "2008-03-07T22:44:18Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Ohh, I wanna play! If the rotation of Earth were to be reversed, how many pancakes could you fit on top of a doghouse? Green, because ice cream has no bones. (Taken from a “Fox Kids” magazine in the “Ask The Tick” section circa 15 years ago. [/QUOTE] There are so many mutations of that, my favourite is: So I was walking my snowmobile down when the tire popped, I was contemplating how to get around such a conundrum when it came to me: How many pancakes does it take to wallpaper a doghouse? Purple, because ice-cream has no bones unless a rhinocerous licks it. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/50 "2008-03-09T04:47:07Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Dude, you’re not paying attention … it’s light blue or _heavy_ blue. [/QUOTE] Touche’. **Rhubarb** , I really would like to accept your very logical answer but I can’t help myself. Fundamental units are only meaningful in relation to other fundamental units. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/51 "2008-03-09T15:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Fundamental units are only meaningful in relation to other fundamental units. [/QUOTE] No, no they’re not. The official SI unit definition of a second is: “duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom” [Wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second#International_second). It’s not defined based on any other unit. Similarly, the [kilogram](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilogram) is defined based on a standard cylinder made of platinum-iridium, stored in a vault in Sevres, France. The [meter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meter) was originally defined as 1/10,000,000 times the distance between the poles and the equator, measured along the surface of the Earth. The fundamental units are just that. Further, even though it is possible to resolve E = mc[sup]2[/sup] into s = 1 m kg[sup]1/2[/sup]J[sup]-1/2[/sup], as **scr4** did above, that doesn’t mean “one second has a meter in it”, it means something more along the lines of “one second is the amount of time needed to move one kilogram of mass along a distance of one meter using one Joule of energy.” As others have pointed out, any attempts to resolve this further result in 1 second = 1 second. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/52 "2008-03-09T16:41:41Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Ohh, I wanna play! If the rotation of Earth were to be reversed, how many pancakes could you fit on top of a doghouse? Oh that’s easy… 2½ or if it’s a large doghouse 2¾ ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/53 "2008-03-09T20:36:56Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] [QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Ohh, I wanna play! If the rotation of Earth were to be reversed, how many pancakes could you fit on top of a doghouse? Oh that’s easy… 2½ or if it’s a large doghouse 2¾ [/QUOTE] Close, but incorrect. You’re more familiar with MDU or Metric Doghouse Units, not used in the US. Over here, it would be 5/8 pi/(# doghouses per dwelling unit x rainfall in inches) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2008, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/54 "2008-03-10T07:26:57Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] [QUOTE=chowder] Close, but incorrect. You’re more familiar with MDU or Metric Doghouse Units, not used in the US. Over here, it would be 5/8 pi/(# doghouses per dwelling unit x rainfall in inches) [/QUOTE] But you’re assuming they’re regular pancakes, I was giving the equations for Scotch pancakes which is the same over there as here ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2008, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/55 "2008-03-10T11:09:13Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] [QUOTE=danceswithcats] But you’re assuming they’re regular pancakes, I was giving the equations for Scotch pancakes which is the same over there as here [/QUOTE] Well sure, if you mean _in the afternoon_. But you can’t assume that. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/56 "2008-03-10T16:22:31Z")
Due to gravity, the weight of time is relative to the circumference of the earth and the latitude at which the time is measured. That is why Scotch pancakes are thicker and heavier than Finnish pancakes. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214/57 "2008-03-10T16:28:20Z")
[QUOTE=Muffin] Due to gravity, the weight of time is relative to the circumference of the earth and the latitude at which the time is measured. That is why Scotch pancakes are thicker and heavier than Finnish pancakes. [/QUOTE] Just a moment, Scotch pancakes are very very small and thin. Are you saying that Finnish pancakes are even smaller and thinner? If so I find this hard to believe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-a-second-weigh/440214.md?page=2)