Which of the Elements?

None of those are elements. They are all made of other components.

Fire and water need air, oxygen, earth could survive w/o oxygen but not as we know it.

mirandashell said:

None of those are elements. They are all made of other components.

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That shit is classical, yo! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element#Classical_elements_in_Greece

I'm gonna say earth as that makes sense in a mythological/fantastical way.

The four elements would be equal in that; although they are quite different from each other.

Kitty Pryde said:

That shit is classical, yo! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element#Classical_elements_in_Greece

I'm gonna say earth as that makes sense in a mythological/fantastical way.

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I know, but the OP didn't say that, did she?

Context?

Could you give a little context for the question?

From what I am parsing, probably earth. It's the least overtly active, doesn't evaporate, takes the longest time to change, so it would wind through sheer passive power.

According to Agrippa (author of Three Books of Occult Philosophy) all the elements as we know them are comprised of every other element - thus dirt has some fire, water and air in it, air has some earth, fire, and water and so on. While I don't know if this would even the odds of any contest, I think it might factor in.

Of course if it just comes down to a game of rock, paper, scissors...

IMO, Air.

Water eats away at Earth. Fire and water destroy each other. Nothing destroys Air.

Drachen Jager said:

IMO, Air.

Water eats away at Earth. Fire and water destroy each other. Nothing destroys Air.

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Fire destroys air (oxygen).

I pick earth, reasons as follows:

Fire needs constant replenishing to exist.

Water is the source of life, but tends to disappear quickly. Particularly on hot days.

Air disappears really fast and is what people will fight for most. Especially under water.

Earth sits around. Dig deep enough and you'll see it keeping a record for thousands of years. Longer if your religion can stand it. Water might turn it to mud, but eventually the water disappears, and the mud remains, returning to its earth form. Fire and air ain't got nothing on earth, either.

I pick air. Because without air, the earth would just be a dead rock, like the moon. And if there was no life, water wouldn't be any help, nor would fire.

My vote would be for earth. All of the other elements can destory the others, fire evaporates water/water puts out fire/fire uses up air. When the other elements come in contact with earth, it only transforms it.

Fire turns earth into clay, wind blows earth elsewhere, and water turns earth into mud or washes it away. But none of those things destroys it. Even if we eat earth, eventually our poop will turn back into earth along with our bodies.

NYCutie said:

Hello I am wondering which of the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water would out last all of them?

I know its probably an impossible question to answer, but I would love your thoughts. I have an idea which one would, but like I said I'd like others to chime in on this

Thanks


Edit: I'm writing a four element series, and I wanted to see what everyone thinks is the superior element. I know one cannot live without the other sort of speak.

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Isn't it a bit like Rock Paper Scissors?

What did the ancients think? That's what I would take. I'd go for earth because in olden times it would seem the most stable. All the others are basically changeable.

But if I applied a more modern perspective, I'd choose air. This is based on a geography course I took in college, where the professor made a strong case for most geological cycles being driven by the weather. And recently I learned that the speed of Earth's rotation is not constant, it slows down and speeds up, apparently driven or impeded by the wind.

Ditto Alessandra - if you're going with the Classical elements then aether all the way.

There are five elements in both Chinese and Japanese philosophy...and in a movie with Bruce Willis.

mgencleyn said:

Fire destroys air (oxygen).

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Fire doesn't destroy oxygen. It transforms oxygen into carbon dioxide (air) smoke (air) and other gasses (air).

In a strict four elemental sense fire creates more air because it transforms the burned object (usually an earth object) into air. When fire meets water they create steam and smoke which are both air aligned.

Air beats all because it is most malleable. It is the weakest for hurting the others, it takes millennia for wind to erode a mountain, air helps fire (in fact you can't have fire without air and earth, so fire cannot win) and air (over time) evaporates water.

Earth is strongest, but crumbles under pressure.

Fire is most powerful but destroyed by water.

Water can destroy earth (slowly) or fire but is destroyed by fire in the process.

Drachen Jager said:

Fire doesn't destroy oxygen. It transforms oxygen into carbon dioxide (air) smoke (air) and other gasses (air).

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Ultimately, nothing can be destroyed if you go that far. But you will not find any O in a sealed container once the fire is done with it. Notice that I put the element in parentheses since we're dealing with a time when there are only four elements as far as anyone alive then would be concerned. Otherwise, the question would be invalid because there are more than four elements, and none of those in the OP are even elements.

Personally I think air would last the longest. If you create a whirlwind of air it will suck in any fire, water, or earth thrown at it. It can turn any defense into an offense.

Of course that's magically speaking, not scientific .

NYCutie said:

This is a fantasy series, that is why I am using the four elements.

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I just wrote an "answer" here that doesn't answer your question (any maybe THAT is giving too much away), but I think it's such a good idea I'm tempted to keep it for myself.

Water. Among the four, it is the only one with a specific chemical composition, and it is probably the most abundant chemical compound in the universe.

NYCutie said:

Hello I am wondering which of the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water would out last all of them?

I know its probably an impossible question to answer, but I would love your thoughts. I have an idea which one would, but like I said I'd like others to chime in on this

Thanks


Edit: I'm writing a four element series, and I wanted to see what everyone thinks is the superior element. I know one cannot live without the other sort of speak.

Click to expand...

None is superior to the other. It's a cyclical relationship.

Fire can be put out by earth, water or air.
Water can be dried by fire, air or earth.
Air can be removed or polluted by water, earth or fire.
Earth can be destroyed by air, water or fire.

Each is subservient to the other three, therefore they're all equal.