Toa of Air are just Toa of thermodynamics?

So Toa of air can manipulate winds, and how are winds created? A difference in air pressure between two adjacent areas.

Science reasoning:
Using the ideal gas equation (PV=nRT or Pressure * Volume = number of moles *a constant * temperature) and isolating pressure we get P=nRT/V
Assuming toa of air are not manipulating the volume of the container of the gas or the number of moles, we can say nR/V is some constant C, so P=CT

We can see that pressure is dependent on temperature. So therefore toa of air manipulate wind by manipulating the temperature of the air. And that means they are toa of thermodynamics because they can control temperature.

3 Likes

Or he just moves the air?

Temperature difference is how winds occur naturally, but you can make wind artificially through many means – using a fan, blowing, even waving your hand through the air creates a small wind. Air Toa just move the air directly, and can make a wind as strong as they want (up to a point, anyway).

So really, Lewa is just a giant fan. He was the first Bionicle fan.

9 Likes

We only ever see them do P and V, so I think it’s safe to conclude they’re Toa of Isothermal Processes in Gases In Particular.

Toa of Fire and Toa of Ice are the Toa of ΔT

2 Likes

Breathing (and subsequently blowing) are also due to pressure change, but the independent variable with that is volume. I see your point with fans, however that would imply toa of air control air by making a telekinetic (?) fan.

@Maphrox I have not come across a toa of air manipulating the volume of a gas. Also how would toa of air control either pressure or volume? I assumed it would be thermal manipulation of a specific area, similar to how toa of ice and toa of fire work, as opposed to a telepathic control of each molecule in the air

Or maybe it’s magic and Bionicle doesn’t actually make any sense scientifically. Literally nothing that happens in-universe makes any sense if you actually apply physics.

Every time you move gas around in a closed space, you’re necessarily changing the density of it locally, both stretching and squashing it. Changing density is practically equivalent to being able to change the volume.

@SirKeksalot I think this is something everyone knows going into a discussion like this. The entire point is to see how far you can stretch known physics to apply it to the world anyway.

1 Like

Ok but the simplest explanation, and most valid by Occam’s Razor, is just that a Toa of Air physically pushes the air with his powers. I mean, every other material element kind of has to work that way in order for its usage to make any sense. Otherwise, how does Stone work?

That sounds awful. Why would a “toa of thermodynamics” be limited to controlling the temperature of just air? Why wouldn’t he just…move the air? No ulterior cause needed.

The problem is by working backwards from an inherently nonsensical concept, which all toa powers are, you’re only going to derive more bothersome implications than you started with. Just keeping at the surface level and calling it magic is already the cleanest answer you’re going to get. I mean I guess it’s all speculative fun, just know that the deeper you dig the less consistent it will be with what’s presented in the story.

2 Likes

I do not think so. Thermodynamics is such a wide aspect of physics that this sentence makes no sence at all. Thermodynamics is based on transfer of the energy between molecules (veeery silplified explanation) so if you want to make thermodynamic one of toa powers you have to combine air, water, ice, plasma, fire and sonics, maybe plantlife. Stone, iron, earth and sand are based on movement of big molecules using psionics/gravity type of power, gravity is a different type of force influence, magnetism and lightning are in some sort comparable and based on movement and distribution of charge, psionic is a mental power, light and shadow are radiation (and lack of radiation) powered.

What is we didn’t assume this?

Also, since every Toa can control the element they are a Toa of, would that mean that a Toa of Thermodynamics could manipulate the Laws of Thermodynamics, and reverse entropy?

1 Like

I wouldn’t worry too much about entropy. Every Toa messes with entropy in weird ways, like how Toa of Ice make low-entropy states of matter from nothing.

1 Like