Science

Refine Search

What are the properties of polystyrene?

The material can also be put into a foamed state. This is often seen when the foam is dried and then used for packing peanuts. Polystyrene is slow to break down or biodegrade, making it a candidate for recycling, but also a focus of controversy in the environmental sectors. Most of polystyrene's properties are influenced by short-range attractions, called van der Waals, between the polymer chains. These chains consist of thousands of hydrocarbon atoms, making the attractive force very high. When the material is heated, the chains become flexible and elastic.\nThe heating and molding of th..

Continue Reading

What does "hybridization" mean in chemistry?

Hybridization is the amalgamation of other parts to form something new. The resultant hybrid product has characteristics of the two combined items. Hybridization of atomic orbitals explains the changes that happen between atomic orbitals in an uncombined atom and the orbitals used by the same atoms during the process of bonding. An example of a sp3 hybridized bond is the CH4 molecule, whereby a carbon atom mixes its "s" and "3p" electrons with four hydrogen atoms in a hybridized bond.

Continue Reading

Can you get wind turbines to generate energy for your personal home?

Wind turbines capture wind energy and convert it into electricity. Two setups are possible: on-grid and off-grid. An on-grid wind turbine is connected to the electricity grid. When it produces more electricity than the household uses, it gives the extra to the grid. When the wind does not blow, the system takes the energy from the grid. Off-grid wind turbines store the unused power in a battery.Depending on the home size, the wind turbine needs a generating capacity ranging from 2 kW to 10 kW, with an average of 5 kW. This means that the diameter of the wind turbine will be from 12 feet to 25 ..

Continue Reading

What is an amyloplast?

An amyloplast does not contain pigments and is a type of plastid. Plastids that do not have pigmentation are generally associated with the storage of food. The plastids involved in the making of food contain pigments that make them appear colored. Amyloplasts are able to convert starch back in to sugar if the plant is in need of energy. Fruit and potato plants are two common plants that contain large amounts of amyloplasts.

Continue Reading

How do emulsifiers work?

Milk is an example of a naturally occurring emulsion, with milk fat kept evenly distributed, at least for a while, in water. It is also an example of a colloid, as are many emulsions. There is no essential difference between a colloid and other solutions, except that the dissolved particles in colloids are larger than in other solutions.\nEmulsions are a form of solution, but the emulsifiers are the solute of the water, not the fats or oils they emulsify. In most emulsions, the separation of hydrophobic molecules from water is only delayed, not stopped completely. That is one reason why in ful..

Continue Reading

What are the advantages of natural gas?

As natural gas burns, more than 45 percent less carbon dioxide is released than when coal is burned. Increasing the usage of natural gas throughout the world decreases pollutants, because less toxic particles are put into the atmosphere as it burns. Another benefit of using natural gas is that it burns hot, which puts off much more heat than other gases. This high level of heat that is given off makes it a good choice for heating homes, heating water and cooking. A large array of household applications can run on natural gas including the majority of major appliances. An additional advantage o..

Continue Reading

What do buckeye trees look like?

In the springtime, buckeyes are among the first trees to sprout blossoms and buds. Their first flowers generally appear at the same time as those of woodland wildflowers; naturalists can often distinguish buckeyes from other trees during the early spring based on this characteristic. Although they bloom early, buckeyes lose their leaves early in the fall season; this is another trait that facilitates identification of buckeyes. The wood beneath the surface of buckeye trunks is pale and light, and often used to produce paper products, boxes and crates and novelty items. Seven species of buckeye..

Continue Reading

What is the function of the deltoids?

All three major regions of the deltoids attach to the same point on the humerus. The region most toward the front of the body moves the arm up and toward the collarbone. The middle region moves the arm straight up and forward, as when throwing a ball underhand. The rear region lifts the arm directly out to the side.

Continue Reading

What type of volcano is El Chichon?

A caldera volcano forms when part of a volcano collapses due to the emptying of a magma chamber during eruption. A low, wide crater then forms in place of a tall volcanic peak. El Chichón’s summit is a basin with an acidic lake, which is typical of caldera volcanoes. The ash, minerals and settlement within the lake produce water with a green hue. Sheet flows surround the sediment of the volcano and seep minerals, such as iron, to the flora in the basin.

Continue Reading

What is saltwater?

Fresh water can be created from saltwater through distillation, which is a process in which water is boiled off and condensed into a separate container.\nSaltwater can have a harmful effect on plants by obstructing the plant's ability to absorb water because of the adverse osmotic pressure created in the plant's root system. Plants can be injured when their roots or foliage are exposed to saltwater.

Continue Reading
Showing 3081 to 3090 of 10000 (1000 Pages)