The term microfarad is used to describe a unit of capacitance that is 0.000001 farad. The symbol that represents a microfarad is µF. It is commonly used in utility alternating-current and audio frequency circuits. The capacitors that are found in them normally have a rating of 1 µF or more. However, even smaller capacitors are …
A dielectric constant measures the extent that a material concentrates electrostatic flux and is also known as the relative static permittivity, static dielectric constant, and relative dielectric constant. It is essential when determining if a substance can be used in a capacitor or various chemistry and physics applications. A material’s dielectric constant value must be …
A living organism is bioluminescent when it produces and emits light. Most organisms that do this live in the sea. However, there are several land insects and plants that also have bioluminescent qualities, including the firefly. The trait has typically evolved in organisms that either need to communicate with each other or lure/detect prey. How …
Solid mechanics defines torsion as the twisting of an object as a result of applied torque. Torsional vibration can be broadly described as the angular vibration of any object. It can be defined specifically as the periodic motion corresponding to a shaft, where the shaft is twisted about its axis, alternating from one direction to …
The Venturi effect is the phenomenon that occurs when a fluid that is flowing through a pipe is forced through a narrow section, resulting in a pressure decrease and a velocity increase. The effect is mathematically described through the Bernoulli equation and can be observed in both nature and industry. Many industry applications rely on …
A permanent magnet (ferromagnet) is a material that produces a magnetic field. Permanent magnets are made from ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and are created when the material is placed inside of a magnetic field. When the magnetic field is removed, the object remains magnetized. Permanent magnets have a permanent magnetic field and do not …
A linear actuator is a mechanical device that makes a linear motion, usually via a hydraulic pump or electromagnetic gear. Other forces can be used to create linear motion. The different types of linear actuators include screw, wheel and axle, cam, hydraulic pump, pneumatic, piezoelectric, and electro-mechanical. Linear motors, wax motors, and telescoping linear actuators …
Electroluminescent wire (EL wire) is a thin wire that produces 360 degrees of visible light. EL wire differs from string lights, such as Christmas lights, which only produce light at specific points. It uses a phenomenon known as electroluminescence to generate light when electricity runs through it. EL wire is very thin and flexible and …
The U.S. drone program has seen significant press since the first Gulf War when the defenders of Faylaka Island surrendered to the Pioneer drone, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), flying spotting services for the USS Wisconsin (BB 64). Since that time, the technology powering U.S. drones has steadily improved now allowing the MQ-1B Predator and …
In the modern world, virtually everyone owns a microwave oven. How many people, though, stop to consider what exactly microwave ovens do or how they work? To anyone who has been alive over the past few decades, microwave ovens are as normal as anything else; to someone born even a century ago, however, they would …