Volume of rice

[malagabob]

How is this old greek puzzler explained.If I was to drop a grain of rice it makes no sound.But if I was to drop a hand full it makes a sound

[ryepie]

Surely the single grain of rice does make a sound, it's just that you can't hear it. I can drop a grain of rice (uncooked) and hear it. What sort of a 'puzzle' is that?!

[heathfield]

Or...depending on the surface it falls on, the sound that a single grain of rice makes may be inaudible. But when several grains fall, they rub against each other to produce a rustling sound, as with dried sand, sugar, salt, etc.

[fo3nix]

ryepie's got it in one.

A single grain of rice does make sound; your initial assumption is incorrect. Whether or not it's loud enough for the human ear to detect it is another matter.

[Champagne]

Is the rice cooked or uncooked?

Is it falling onto sand or tin?

Is it brown rice, wild rice or Uncle Bens?

Is it served with chilli con carne?

Mmmm... chilli con carne.... *drool*

[dundurn]

Sounds like a Greek version of "wax on, wax off", "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" etc - if you act alone (one grain if rice) no one can hear you, if you act together (a handful) you have an effect.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Ah, go clap a single hand would you all please?

In a forest where a tree is about to land on the ground but no one is around for miles to hear it so therefore it makes no sound etc etc.......

In fact, lets go even further and name it something like 'That Little Hill' but remember that in the native language it is what all the natives have been calling the place for donkeys years until some foreign explorer came around and it became all 'official'......but still called 'That Little Hill'.

[taperface]

How about..if you drop a feather, it's inaudible to our ears, but if you drop several of them - that is as well!!!

[NiceCupOfTea]

Maybe they were being sarcastic about Uranium or Plutonium or another 'ium'?