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What determines the properties of a mineral?

Substances that are classed as minerals must have the following properties:They must be naturally occurringThis means they are not man-made. For example, steel is not a mineral because it requires manufacturing.Minerals are inorganicInorganic substances are those that are not produced by organisms. For example, wood is not a mineral because organisms produce it.All are solidThis means it cannot be a liquid or gas while subjected to normal temperature and pressure ranges.They must have a definite chemical compositionThis composition must fall within a defined range. For example, salt has a chem..

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How does Lysol kill bacteria?

Different Lysol products work differently because they use different chemicals. However, the Lysol Disinfectant Spray relies mostly on alcohol. Scientists are not exactly clear on how alcohols kill germs, according to the Center for Disease Control, though they think it has to do with denaturing proteins. Essentially, denaturing a protein destroys the tertiary structure that gives the protein its three-dimensional shape. Destroying the structure interrupts how it functions, in effect killing the cell. It may also affect the membranes of cells.

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What are some examples of circadian rhythms?

Circadian rhythms are sometimes loosely described as a person's body clock. It refers to the 24-hour cycle through which physical, mental and behavioral changes occur. An example in humans is sleeping patterns; circadian rhythms help people to sleep at night and stay awake during the day. They also help to regulate eating patterns and control hormone release. When circadian rhythms are disrupted there can be adverse health implications. This includes sleep disorders and other conditions, including obesity and diabetes.Circadian rhythms work in other animals in a similar way that they do i..

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What are the advantages of fungi?

Within the biosphere, fungi play an essential role as the primary decomposers and recyclers of nutrients. Fungi are present and play this role in all of Earth's habitats. Without fungi, plants would lose their primary source of nutrients, organic matter recycled by fungi. Fungi also play mutualistic roles with a variety of other types of organisms.\nNitrogen fixation is another important contribution of fungi within ecosystems, according to the journal Science. Nitrogen fixation by fungi has been shown to contribute to the biomass of leaf-cutter ants as part of a symbiotic relationship.\n..

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What is krypton used for?

Krypton was discovered by Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay and English chemist Morris M. Travers in May 1898. The pair were studying liquefied air and noticed that tiny amounts of liquid krypton were left behind when other components of liquid air had boiled away. Notably, the atmosphere of the Earth is made from 0.0001 percent krypton.\nKrypton comes from the Greek word "kryptos," which means hidden.

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Why is it confusing to refer to organisms by common names?

Pelargoniums are popular houseplants and bedding plants with balls of brilliantly colored flowers that rise above fan or ivy-shaped leaves that are often fragrant. These plants blossom from mid-spring to autumn, depending on the varietal.\nCranesbills, or true geraniums, are border plants that are good for rock gardens. They are hardy plants with simple flowers that come in shades of blue, pink or white. It is important that a gardener know the difference between cranesbill and pelargonium because of the differences in their looks and habits as well as their needs for sunlight, soil, water and..

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Is sugar an element, compound or mixture?

A compound is made up of the atoms of two of more different elements that have been bound together. These elements can be broken down by chemical means. The elements that make up a compound, when joined together, have properties that are different than the properties of the individual elements. Other examples of compounds are water and table salt.\nAn element, on the other hand, is made up of only one type of atom and cannot be broken down into a simpler matter by chemical or physical means. Examples of elements include argon and nitrogen.\nFinally, a mixture combines two or more elements that..

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What is the formula for calculating watts?

To charge for a household's energy usage, electrical utility companies use the unit kilowatt-hour, a unit of energy. Multiplying a unit of power, the kilowatt, by a unit of time, the hour, results in a unit of energy. Kilowatt-hours represent the amount of energy an electrical utility company supplies to a household during the length of a billing cycle.

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What is the radius of the planet Venus?

Venus has a surface area of about 177.69 million square miles, which is approximately 90 percent of the surface area of Earth. A year on Venus is equivalent to 224.7 Earth days. Venus orbits the sun at an average distance of 67.23 million miles. The circumference of its orbit is about 422.46 million miles.

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What did Einstein discover?

Because he found Newtonian physics inadequate to explain nature, Einstein used observation to prove his own inferences about physics as well as the conjectures of other experimenters. His work in quantum mechanics, which explains the workings of sub-molecular and sub-atomic physics, attempts to build one unified theoretical framework. For example, once Robert Millikan completed his experiments on the photoelectric effect, which proved that light striking a metal plate released electrons, Einstein could prove that light consisted of particles, which he called "quanta.”\nAs international inter..

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