While many of us labored to learn geography in school, we always wondered why it mattered. Here are some reasons why a sound understanding of geography is more important today than ever before. Politics We live in a world that is shaped by the political climate in various locations around the globe. In order to …
A ferrofluid is a metallic liquid that becomes magnetized when placed in a magnetic field. Ferrofluids are made up of clumps of iron nanoparticles that are evenly placed throughout a carrier fluid such as water or organic solvent. These clumps all work together to create a response to a magnetic field, consequently creating a very …
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. It is also referred to as energy in motion, or as the work required to take an object from being at rest to action/movement. Mathematically, kinetic energy is calculated as ½ of the mass of a body, multiplied by the speed of the body squared, KE=1/2 mv^2. Where …
There are five states of matter that occur when physical forces are applied to them. These states are fairly easy to understand when their physical properties are observed. Depending on the type of matter that is being dealt with, the state of the matter may be more difficult to reach when applying these physical stressors. The best way …
Refractometers measure the refractive index of liquids, gases, and translucent solids such as gemstones. The measurement of how much the speed of light is reduced when traveling through a gas, solid, or solution is referred to as the refractive index. When the device is used to test liquids, it typically measures the salinity, fluid concentration, …
A pitot tube measures pressure levels in liquids. They are most commonly seen in laboratory settings but can be seen in industrial applications as small cylinders. While a pitot tube is not the only device that measures fluid pressure, it is capable of being implemented in much more diverse environments than similar devices. How Pitot …
Rhodium plating is a type of metal plating that prevents an object from being scratched or tarnished and improves the object’s color quality. Rhodium is a precious metal that is five to twenty-five times as expensive as gold and is used for plating jewelry and other objects in order to make them brighter, smoother, and …
When looking at a microwave, one of the things they often times see is a metal rack in there which causes confusion. However, people have always been taught that putting metal in the microwave is incredibly dangerous and can destroy the microwave. The question that they ask, then, is: why can't I put aluminum foil, …
The Peltier effect is one of the three separately identified effects to which “Thermoelectric Effect” or simply, “Thermoelectricity” refers. The other two are the Seebeck and Thomson effects. Discovery This effect is named after French physicist Jean-Charles Peltier, who discovered it in 1834. Peltier found that the junctions of dissimilar metals were heated or cooled …
Electroluminescence is the phenomenon where a material emits light when electricity is passed through it. It is one of the greatest discoveries of the twentieth century and other forms of luminescence, including incandescence, chemiluminescence, cathodoluminescence, triboluminescence, and photoluminescence rival it. Electroluminescence generally involves a material producing light without producing heat. It is different from black …