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Does shape affect how fast an ice cube will melt?

Ice cubes have a moderate amount of surface area, relative to the volume they contain. For instance, 1 cubic inch of water has 6 square inches of surface area. If the same amount of water were frozen into the shape of a sphere, the surface area would be less than 5 square inches of surface area. This means that in order to keep a given volume of ice from melting, spheres work better than cubes do. Conversely, if the ice cube is formed into a 2-inch-by-2-inch square, a mere one-quarter inch thick, its surface area grows to 10 square inches.\nThis phenomenon is reflected in the real world. When ..

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What are examples of biological evolution?

Charles Darwin is credited with the first well-documented argument for the scientific ideas behind evolution, citing the processes of natural selection. Natural selection is the process at which specific traits are favored through environmental conditions, where more cunning or adapted animals are more likely to survive and pass on their evolutionary changes to their offspring. The common modern definition of evolution is also known as descent with modification, especially in the scientific circles where this distinction is more important.\nAttributes like the intelligence in humans, or the co..

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What kind of plants grow in rivers?

Cattails are found along the banks of rivers. They are notable for their long, blade-like leaves and flowers, which have two parts. The more conspicuous brown cylinders contain the female flowers, while the less noticeable yellow spikes contain the male flowers. Cattails can grow as high as 10 feet.\nThe yellow pond lily, or spatterdock, is found in slow-moving rivers. It is a perennial that is related to the water lily and produces large green leaves that either float on the water or are held above it. The plant also produces a yellow flower.\nDuckweed is a free-floating plant with tiny green..

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Why did the Tangshan earthquake occur?

Tangshan is 93 miles east of Beijing in northern China, an area with fairly high seismic activity. Several fault zones run through or near the Tangshan region. From 1966 to 1976, a number of seismic events greater than magnitude 6 occurred near Tangshan, indicating a gradual buildup of activity. At the beginning of 1976, earthquakes of magnitude 5 or 6 were forecast for the Tangshan area.\nThe Tangshan earthquake struck in the early morning of July 28, 1976, and it lasted about 15 seconds. It registered 7.8 on the Richter scale. An aftershock of 7.1 magnitude followed 16 hours later. The quake..

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During which months can Orion be seen?

The constellation Orion is sometimes referred to as the hunter, since the stars in it form a pattern that can be likened to a man holding a spear in one hand and a shield in another. This constellation can be equated to the coming of winter since its timing coincides with the season.This constellation is one of the most visible to human beings on Earth, and it is named after a hunter in Greek mythology. It is said that this hunter was quite good, but would brag a lot about his skills. When the gods grew tired of his bragging ways, they sent Scorpius, or Scorpion, to kill him. Orion despised th..

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How do the moons of Jupiter stay in orbit around Jupiter?

The four Galilean satellites are, in order from Jupiter, Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. Each of these worlds orbits Jupiter in what is called a prograde motion, or aligned with the planet's rotation. The three inner moons tug at each other with every orbit and have settled into a stable tidal resonance with each other of 3:2. This resonance means that for every orbit Callisto completes, Europa circles Jupiter twice, and for every single orbit Europa completes, Io orbits Jupiter twice, according to NASA.\nThe four large moons are also tidally locked with Jupiter. As NASA explains, this..

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What is a list of terrestrial animals?

Based on what they eat, terrestrial animals are further classified into carnivores and herbivores. Herbivores are plant- and grass-eating animals, while carnivores are flesh eaters.\nTerrestrial animals live in different habitats. Lions, elephants, antelopes, zebras, giraffes and elephants live in the great African plains. Snakes and lizards live in marshy woodlands.\nSome terrestrial animals such as cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep are domesticated for milk and meat.

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Are viruses living or non-living organisms?

When a virus is without a host, it is considered dormant. When the virus is dormant, no biological activity is taking place, which makes it non-living. A virus without a host is called a "virion." Once the virus finds an appropriate host, however, the biological processes become active and it is considered living. When it has found a host and comes alive, it is then officially a virus. This is the stage in which it replicates.

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How many pounds does 1 ton equal?

A short tone is considered 2,000 pounds while a long ton weighs in 2,240 pounds. A short ton is also equal to 907.18474 kilograms or 32,000 ounces. Large objects such as cars and elephants are measured using tons. An average sized car weighs around 2 tons, while elephants can easily weigh more than 5 tons when fully grown.A cup is equal to 8 ounces and a pound is equal to 16 ounces. Pounds and ounces are common measurements for most objects including animals and food.

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What is a list of acids and their sources?

Another acid is sulfuric acid, which is composed of hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen atoms. It is the most commonly found acid and is used in many different industries. For instance, sulfuric acid is used to treat steel and keep it from corroding, as well as make fertilizer. This acid only occurs naturally in minute amounts, produced by decaying organic matter and volcanic activity.\nWhen organic matter decomposes, carbon dioxide forms. In turn, carbon dioxide dissolves naturally in water to produce carbonic acid. Although this process is a natural and important component of the environment, carbon..

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