Solar energy is created by taking sunlight (solar thermal energy) and converting it into electricity. This conversion takes place via a medium that absorbs the solar energy and then converts it into usable electricity that can power various objects that are electrically operated. While the solar panel is not the most effective method of generating …
Isomers are compounds with the same molecular, but different structural formulas. Isobutane is an isomer of butane. It belongs to a class of compounds called alkanes, which are chains of carbon atoms where each carbon atom is attached to as many hydrogen atoms as possible. Its chemical formula is C4H10. Butane consists of four carbon …
A psychrometer is a type of hygrometer and is used exclusively to determine the relative humidity or moisture content in the air. Psychrometers represent an older humidity measurement form and electronic sensors that depend on changes in electrical resistance and capacitance rather than condensation temperature have widely replaced them. However, psychrometers are still found in …
Potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) is an inorganic chemical reagent that is normally used as an oxidizer in industrial and laboratory applications. It is used to oxidize alcohols and convert primary alcohols to aldehydes and sometimes carboxylic acids. Unlike similar processes that use permanganate, only carboxylic acids result. The secondary alcohols are converted into ketones and no …
Traffic lights are basically signalling lights placed at crossroads or turning-points to regulate the flow of vehicular traffic. This system is of utmost importance specially in populated traffic zones to avoid accidents and human casualties. That is most cities deploy traffic signals on every road. Less traffic oriented areas in villages and country side may …
Hindsight bias is when people exaggerate their confidence in an event that occurred based on predictions that were made prior to the event’s occurrence. Hindsight bias is just one type of bias that the brain uses to store and recall information. This is because people tend to focus on an event that occurred rather than …
Hoverboards in movies are fictional, but there are actual hoverboards — though they are not the size of a skateboard. Hoverboards are simple contraptions that allow the user to travel without parts that would roll over the ground. Hoverboards are an offshoot of the hovercraft. The hovercraft (also known as air-cushion vehicle or ACV) is …
The Kelvin Scale is a thermometric scale used in physical science to describe the absolute temperature of an object, substance, or area. While Fahrenheit and Celsius scales measure temperature, the Kelvin Scale defines temperatures relative to an object’s thermodynamic movement. As a result, the Kelvin Scale does not use degrees, but simply a number followed …
As society is trying to slowly ween itself off of oil-dependency, the search for alternative fuels continues. One source of alternative "fuel" that already exists, however, is the electric motor. Electric motors are commonly found in vehicles, toys, and other electronic devices but there is still a campaign to improve the quality and efficiency of …
Lightning can be described as a massive discharge of electrical energy that can reach the speed of 130,000 mph and can exceed temperatures of 30,000 degrees Celsius. Although we know a lot about this phenomenon, it is still unclear how and why lightning forms. We will mention some of the theories on how lightning is …