Why does air cool as it rises through the atmosphere?
The first thing we must realize is that temperature and heat are two different things, they’re closely related but one can be affected while the other is not. We all know that warm air rises, if it didn’t the people in hot air balloons would be in trouble. This warm air will cool as it [...]
What is nuclear waste?
Radioactive waste is the unwanted by-product from natural radioactive substances, made in nuclear research centers, and nuclear reactors. For example, uranium is used to create plutonium. The uranium is bombarded with neutrons in a nuclear reactor. That’s when it becomes complicated, essentially the neutrons cause nuclear reactions with produces plutonium, gamma rays and other elements and [...]
What is a supernova?
A stars life is measured in segments, our star (the sun) is about 5 billion years old, and has another 5 billion years or so. Our sun is said to be in its main sequence, it is hot enough to turn hydrogen into helium, which creates a great deal of energy, the same energy we [...]
How do I make a model of Beryllium?
This sounds like a homework question to me, but I’ll still give you some information. Beryllium is a chemical element from the periodic table and has the symbol Be. Beryllium has an atomic number of four, which means it has four protons in it. It has one of the highest melting point of all the [...]
What does carbonic acid do to your body?
Carbonic acid is a carbon containing acid. It can also be carbon dioxide in water. Carbon dioxide dissolved in water is in equilibrium with carbonic acid, a state in which a chemical reaction proceeds at the same rate as its reverse reaction. Humans have an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, these enzymes live in our red [...]
Is hydrogen found as a free element in nature or a compound?
Hydrogen has the atomic number one. That means that it has one proton. Take any element in the universe remove all but one proton and you have yourself a hydrogen atom and some spare protons. Knowing this should make it easier to accept that hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. Scientists believe [...]
What is the source of heat?
We get the majority of our heat from the sun. The next largest source is the core of the Earth itself. Then there’s a billion way tie for the third biggest source of heat. Heat itself is the motion of atoms, molecules and other particles. The faster it’s moving the hotter it is. Think of [...]
What is an ion?
An ion is an atom that had a net electrical charge. This electrical charge comes from having either more electrons or fewer electrons than protons. If there are more electrons than protons the atom will have a negative charge and it is called an anion. If there are fewer electrons than protons that atom is [...]
What is Absolute Zero?
Absolute Zero is the lowest possible temperature. Atoms contain a certain amount of energy the amount of energy in an atom dictates its temperature. Heat itself is an energy so when you put your cold hand on something warm what’s happening is that the warm object is transferring energy into your cold hand. Absolute Zero [...]
Why do ionic crystals conduct electric current in a liquid state?
Electricity is the movement of an electric charge through electrons, it literally jumps from electron to electron. When a alternating current is applied the electrons wiggle back and forth from a positive charge to a negative charge. A direct current will push one way instead of wiggling back and forth. In metal, the outside electrons [...]
