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How does ammonium nitrate dissolve in water?

The endothermic reaction between water and ammonium nitrate is used in chemical cold packs. When the two compounds are allowed to mix, the reaction lowers the surrounding temperature. This makes it effective at cooling small insulated containers such as coolers and lunch boxes.\nAmmonium nitrate is capable of absorbing water from the air at a relative humidity of 59.4 percent. In conditions more humid than this, it absorbs water until the solution liquefies. This can be prevented by keeping the relative humidity low, storing ammonium nitrate in a sealed container or combining it with other che..

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What are some common minerals and their uses?

There are anti-microbial components in copper, so medical equipment often contains this element, states the National Mining Association. Another common mineral is lead, which batteries, electronics and ceramics all use. X-ray and gamma radiation also contain lead. Zinc is another common mineral and is found in steel, paints and metal spraying. Another mineral is nickel, which is important in chemical and aerospace businesses.

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What are pigment granules?

According to Ask Nature, the brilliant types of metallic colors found on damselflies' bodies are derived from a structural type of arrangement of specific pigment granules. The pigment found in the wings of certain damselflies like the species Argrion virgo is distorted from sources of light. This produces a resplendent shift in the colors blue and purple.\nThe pigment composition, fine structure and appearance of epidermal chromatophores found on mature Lestidae are compared and described with developing chromatophores found on mature chromatophores of the Amphipterygidae. A mature chr..

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How do you convert 1 watt into RMS?

A watt is a unit of power described as one joule per second. It is used in the International System of units and was named after James Watt, who contributed to the development of the steam engine. RMS, or root mean square, is a tool or formula used in statistics and electrical engineering. In finding the root mean square, square all the numbers in the set, then find the arithmetic mean of the squares, and take the square root of the result. This is how you get the square root mean.\nIn this conversion, however, there are already set up conversion factors, and users no longer need to take these..

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What are some facts about Albert Einstein?

A popular subject for biographers, facts and myths about Einstein abound. According to the Huffington Post, popular legend claims he failed math, but he simply failed an entrance exam. He did not speak until age three, leading his parents to worry about his development.\nEinstein had an illegitimate daughter in 1902 but her records disappeared, and no one knows what happened to her. Einstein was married twice. He had two children with his first wife, Mileva, but they divorced. He married his cousin Elsa in 1919. That same year Arthur Eddington, a British astronomer, showed that Einstein’s th..

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What is a carbon footprint?

Carbon dioxide is produced by the exhalations of all members of the animal kingdom; it is also released by burning fossil fuels. Generally, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere when it's absorbed by plants. Excess carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere and traps heat. Both conserving electricity and recycling reduces emissions from coal burning power plants; these actions can reduce a person's carbon footprint.

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What is the difference between a planet and a star?

Solar systems form when clouds of gas and dust coalesce into protostellar accretion disks. Most of the mass in such a disk falls toward the center, which provides the mass and energy required to drive the nuclear fusion engine that powers a star throughout its life. Outside the star, small eddies in the accretion disk collapse locally to form small bodies. These small objects grow in size as they collide with one another over millions of years. The largest of these bodies become planets.\nUnlike stars, planets can be gaseous or rocky. Some worlds, such as the dwarf planet Pluto, incorporate ic..

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What are optical fibers made from?

Light entering an optical fiber cable travels long distances using a phenomenon called total internal reflection. Controlling the angle of the light entering the optical cable allows the light to reflect continuously off the surface of the glass and travel along the core. Cores come from highly purified glass extruded into a single fiber and wound onto a spindle. Plastic core optical cables have shorter transmission ranges than those with glass cores, but their greater durability and lower cost make them ideal for use in harsher environments. The cladding provides a material with a lower refra..

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Is aluminum magnetic?

Aluminum is a light, silvery-white metal. It's also soft, but alloying it with other metals can make it strong enough to be used for the wings of airplanes. It can also be molded into nearly any shape and drawn into fine wire. Though copper has largely replaced aluminum for electrical wiring, aluminum is also a good conductor of electricity.

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How long can the average person hold his breath?

In 2012, Stig Severinsen of Denmark set the Guinness World Record for breath holding at 22 minutes while submerged underwater, a feat that was reportedly bested by German freediver Tom Sietas later that same year with a time of 22 minutes, 22 seconds. Humans can hold their breath longer underwater due to the diving reflex, which causes the body to slow its heart rate and metabolism when submerged in cold water.

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