Science

Refine Search

Why are oxidants bad?

Living Healthy 360 states that oxidants are bad because they change the chemistry of cells, making free radicals. These free radicals are unstable, reactive and damaging to other chemical components and systems of the body.\nHowever, Living Healthy 360 points out that there are ways to mitigate the damage of free radicals and oxidants. The answer to oxidants are antioxidants, which inhibit oxidation. While oxidation causes molecules to lose electrons, antioxidants donate electrons, which stabilize the free radicals. One source of these antioxidants is the human body itself. It naturally produc..

Continue Reading

What is the electron dot structure for CHClO?

Electron dot structures, also known as Lewis structures, represent the bonds that take place between atoms and any electron pairs that are left that do not participate in bonding. A pair of "dots" represents an unpaired set of two electrons. Single bonds are represented by one line, while double bonds are represented by two lines.

Continue Reading

Where can educators find simple earthquake models?

The USGS hosts a collection of in-depth diagrams, maps and learning tools for modeling the different characteristics of earthquakes. Topics that include slip-strike faults, thrust faults and liquefaction are explained and modeled in clear animations and graphics. The USGS also provides a host of educational materials and historical data for comparison and research, as well as projects for classrooms and continued learning. The USGS also supplies a comprehensive explanation of the tectonic process, complete with models, to aid in the understanding of the underlying processes that drive earthqua..

Continue Reading

What are the two purines contained within DNA?

The main chemical structure of purines consists of a six-membered ring made of carbon and nitrogen fused together with a five-membered ring constructed out of the same elements. In contrast to purines, pyrimidines have a single-ring structure. To form base pairs, adenine, which is a six-amino purine, pairs with thymine through two hydrogen bonds. Guanine, which is a two-amino-six-oxy purine, bonds with cytosine through thee hydrogen bonds. In RNA, uracil is the pyrimidine base that pairs with adenine instead of thyamine.

Continue Reading

Where do cells come from?

The very first cells on Earth formed from aggregations of organic molecules, such as lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids and nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. These accumulations of organic molecules eventually organized into structures that developed membranes and cell walls that separated them from their environments. DNA and RNA were the molecules that were selected to carry the genetic material of cells so that they could make more of themselves. The earliest living things were probably single-celled prokaryotes.

Continue Reading

How many rings are there around Saturn?

Galileo discovered Saturn's rings in 1610, according to experts from NASA. The planet's ring system has billions of particles in a wide range of sizes. Some of the particles are tiny grains, while others are the size of mountains. These particles may be from asteroids, comets or shattered moons that disintegrated before they reached Saturn.

Continue Reading

How do compasses work in the southern hemisphere?

A compass needle has two ends that are painted different colors, with red indicating north. When a compass is in the northern hemisphere, the north end of the needle is pulled down towards the Earth, so the south end must be counterweighted to balance it. If a northern-hemisphere compass is used south of the equator, the south end of the needle is pulled down instead. Since the south end is already weighted, this pull causes it to drag on the bottom of the compass, resulting in less than accurate readings. A compass designed for the southern hemisphere is weighted differently to avoid this pro..

Continue Reading

What are space rockets used for?

The Space Shuttle, which began its service with NASA on April 12, 1981 and ended on July 21, 2011, was a rocket-powered spacecraft that transported humans and materials to orbit for scientific research. The Space Shuttle orbital vehicle itself used three rocket engines supplemented by three solid rocket boosters to lift the spacecraft into orbit.\nIntercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, are weapons-delivery vehicles that are powered by rocket engines. These engines lift the ICBM to a sub-orbital trajectory, just outside of Earth's atmosphere. Once the ICBM reaches its highest altit..

Continue Reading

Can plants call for help?

A study by German scientists showed that tobacco plants released a chemical compound when being eaten by tobacco hornworm caterpillars. The combination of the chemical mixing with the caterpillars' saliva caused nearby predatory bugs to respond by attacking the nibbling insects.Similar studies have shown other plants, including maple saplings and bean plants, also give off an almost imperceptible scent when under attack from hungry bugs. But the attack doesn't always have to be insect-related; the smell of cut grass is actually a distress signal, too.

Continue Reading

Where is scoria found?

Scoria builds up around the vent of a volcano. The cone-shaped hill formed by scoria is called a cinder cone. Some parts of the world have large areas with multiple cinder cones called volcano fields. Volcanoes that produce scoria usually have brief eruptions and are not very tall. Scoria is often used in landscaping or as a lightweight aggregate added to concrete.

Continue Reading
Showing 1851 to 1860 of 10000 (1000 Pages)