12Apr 2019 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

The Fascinating Kitchen Physics of Boiling Water

Chemistry, Physics
[caption id="attachment_23534" align="alignright" width="480"] Image by Jeshoots[/caption] Cutting-edge science is fascinating. Yet the science of everyday life is anything but boring. Consider the simple act of boiling water on the kitchen stove. There are many factors that come into play leading to the production of steam. Let's take a close look at water as an individual molecule and as a cluster of interacting molecules. Water at the Molecular Level Water consists of one oxygen atom plus two hydrogen atoms. An atom of oxygen is much larger than one of hydrogen. Most hydrogen atoms consist of a lone electron in orbit about a single proton nucleus. Oxygen atoms have a much larger nucleus orbited by 8 electrons. Oxygen has a strong affinity for electrons. So it is an electronegative element. On…
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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…
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19Mar 2014 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Does Iron Float in Mercury?

Physics
[caption id="attachment_5886" align="alignright" width="440"] Weather Float[/caption] Both substances are heavy and mercury is a liquid, so what do you say? Does iron float in mercury? Mercury is a liquid; some objects should float in it. There are two factors that must be taken into consideration in order to answer the question, Does Iron Float in Mercury? Those two factors are the density of the material under consideration and its geometry. Our focus for this discussion will center on a block of solid iron, 4 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm. Density – the Numbers A material floats if it possesses a lower density. Iron’s density is 7.9 g/cm³ (grams per cubic centimeter). Mercury’s density is 13.5 g/cm³. The iron presses on the mercury, but because it is lighter, it…
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