Physics Archives - Page 5 of 8

18Apr 2016 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Ideal Gas Law Molecular Weight

Physics uses simplification to arrive at quick, moderately accurate answers for problems. Small friction sources and tiny masses may be discounted. In textbooks students are introduced to massless strings and frictionless pulleys. For chemists, there is no single equation that conveys the behavior of every gas. Still, the basic properties gases do share in common are combined to produce the simplistic equation of state. We will use this equation to determine the ideal gas law molecular weight. Deriving the Ideal Gas Law When we compress a gas, its volume shrinks. That is, the pressure is proportional to the inverse of the volume. P ∝ 1/V This has been known for hundreds of years as Boyle’s Law. In addition, as temperature increases, gas volume increases (think hot-air balloon). T ∝ V…

11Mar 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

QSO Instructional Videos

Mathematics, Physics

[caption id="attachment_13734" align="alignright" width="340"] Blue = the parabola Black = the Lemniscate of Gerono Violet = the circle Red = QSO (1:1)[/caption] QSO Instructional Videos. Robert G. Chester, guest author at QuirkyScience.com surpassed expectation in his article on quasi-spherical orbits. A mathematics piece that should see application in many areas of physics as well, there is a distinctive flavor of art as well. To aid the reader of his article Quasi-Spherical Orbits – The Most Interesting Curves You’ve Never Heard Of, Robert has provided visual aids in the form of videos that may be seen on YouTube. In fact, they may even be downloaded if the visitor chooses to employ a download application for the purpose. Why are such videos of great value in understanding QSOs? Because most of us…

09Mar 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Difference between Fission and Fusion?

Physics

[caption id="attachment_13674" align="alignright" width="440"] Deuterium-Tritium Fusion[/caption] In the 1900s, seeming peace was rudely interrupted by two developments in nuclear science. The first was fission. The second was fusion. Both can be used in positive ways. But rarely does mankind focus on good. What’s the difference between fission and fusion? Fission Fission is the dividing or splitting of something. This word well applies to the splitting of the atom. More often than not, that atom is the uranium atom. In particular, it is 235U. The 235 stands for isotope atomic weight. There are other isotopes of uranium, most notably 238U. Atoms are fissionable with a net release of energy if they have an atomic weight higher than approximately that of iron. Fusion Fusion behaves in the opposite manner. Fusion is defined…

05Feb 2016 by Vincent Summers

Polymeric Water Clusters

Chemistry, Physics

[caption id="attachment_12642" align="alignright" width="480"] Ice floating in water. Image Morguefile by larryfarr[/caption] Polymeric water clusters? What are they? And what do they have to do with life? There’s no point in discussing how important water is to life. It is the single most necessary compound for the existence and survival of human, animal, and plant life. Why Special? What makes water special is its unusual behavior. Typical of liquids, as water approaches freezing, its density increases. Yet just before freezing, it suddenly decreases. This is why ice floats. Once it forms, ice insulates the water beneath it. It prevents large bodies of water from freezing solid. How? Hydrogen bonding. To understand hydrogen bonding, we must first consider the shape of the water molecule. Geometry of a Water Molecule A water…

24Jan 2016 by Vincent Summers 7 Comments

Natural Snow Removal – How?

Meteorology, Physics

[caption id="attachment_12185" align="alignright" width="480"] Snow - It's a Natural[/caption] What is natural snow removal? It doesn't involve vitamins or minerals. It doesn't involve mulch or compost. From December to March, throughout the United States, sizable snow falls are no surprise. Some are delighted by snow. Others dread it. Neither speeds up or prevents a snow fall. Except through hard work on streets, sidewalks, and such, snow only goes go away by natural means. Natural Snow Removal One natural factor that removes snow is an increase in outdoor temperature. The greater the temperature, the faster snow melts. Of course it melts from the top down or the outside in. But temperature is not the only factor involved in natural snow removal. Sunlight The sun can shine brightly. Snow disappears more quickly…

14Jan 2016 by Vincent Summers No Comments

My Love Affair with the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Physics

In love with the law - the second law of thermodynamics... When I was a child, I used to like to bake. As I stirred the various ingredients together, I thought that if I moved the dough around faster and faster the integrity of each ingredient would be restored. I would see, perhaps, the clear round white of the egg with the yellow yolk inside. However, no matter how long I stirred, that pleasure was not vouchsafed me. The Second Law of Thermodynamics Later in my life, I heard about the Second Law of Thermodynamics (for short, Second Law1). You experience this when You mix batter for a cake, You accidentally drop an egg on the floor, You run your car into a tree, You burn a hole in the…

20Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Red and Yellow Makes Orange?

Physics

[caption id="attachment_9630" align="alignright" width="440"] Paints and pigments including red and yellow.[/caption] It seems simple enough: red and yellow makes orange... Color is a funny thing. If we combine opaque red paint and opaque yellow paint in the correct quantities, we get orange paint. Or do we? Consider this. If the red paint contains an opaque pigment responsible for its color, and if the yellow paint contains an opaque pigment responsible for its color, and the two are such that there is no chemical reaction between the pigments, we do not actually form orange, do we? It’s just a mixture of red and yellow. As Simple as Red and Yellow Makes Orange? In reality it is simply a larger batch of the two paints in the same container. So it must…

19Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Lotus Effect: Vibrations and Superhydrophobic Behavior

Biology, Chemistry, Physics

[caption id="attachment_9623" align="alignright" width="480"] The lotus leaf is superhydrophobic and self-cleaning.[/caption] Superhydrophobic? What's that? A word in the Mary Poppins musical? There is much interest in a behavior of the lotus plant. It is the ability to shed water completely and take surface detritus along with it. This superhydrophobic property had been observed in nature. But at first it could not duplicated in the lab. In that setting, the leaves were wet. Superhydrophobic: But Not In the Lab? After some time, it was found even wetted leaves would produce the effect in the presence of vibrations, such as those from a stereo speaker. This was evidence energy, usually vibratory energy, was required. It lifts water out of the spaces between the cone-like waxy protrusions found on the surface. This property…

30Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

I See Double! The Birefringence or Double Refraction of Calcite

Physics

[caption id="attachment_8638" align="alignright" width="440"] Image splitting by a calcite crystal.[/caption] Refraction? Yes. But double refraction?? A number of phenomena produce double vision. I personally suffer a degree of double vision. It was caused by pressure damage to my 6th optic nerve. The pressure resulted from a tumor on my pituitary gland. One of the most interesting sources of double vision is caused by the splitting of an image by a calcite crystal. Almost transparent, calcite is a form of calcium carbonate. The phenomenon is birefringence or double refraction. Image Splitting Property Most science loving non-scientists use the term double refraction. Refraction is the bending of light as it leaves one medium to enter another. This bending alters the course the light would have taken if there was no change in…

26Aug 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Water Coolant in Internal Combustion Engines

Physics

[caption id="attachment_7705" align="alignright" width="440"] Most internal combustion engine radiators use water as coolant.[/caption] Automobile manufacturers almost invariably design their automobiles to use radiator cooling. Within the radiator, the fluid of choice is water coolant. A few additives in small quantities help minimize the formation of rust and reduce the freezing point. Why do they use radiators, and why is water the liquid of choice? As you might expect, it is the physical and chemical properties of water that dictate its use. What properties? Fluid Choice Common fluids include free moving solid-particles, liquids, and gases. As an example of fluid solids, black molybdenum sulfide is a solid lubricant used on certain moving automotive parts. That gases can cool should be intuitive. One blows on a forkful of hot food to keep…