1) Centre Of Gravity
The force of gravity acts on all parts of an object, but it is often helpful to think of it as a force applied at a single point.
This point is called the centre of gravity; you can think of it as the average position of all the particles that make up the body. It is also known as the centre of mass. If an object is balanced or hung so it does not fall over, the balancing point must be exactly below the centre of gravity so that the gravitational force and the supporting force exactly cancel each other out and do not cause the body to turn and fall over. If the centre of gravity is not over the balancing point of an object, the object is not stable and will turn and fall over.
I hope you got an idea about the center of gravity. Let us move next.
2) Watt
The watt (W) is the SI unit of power. 1 watt corresponds to the conversion of 1 joule of energy from one form into another every second. For example, a light bulb uses about hundred watts of power, so it turns 100 joules of electrical energy into heat and light every second, while A one bar electric fire has a power of about 1000 watts for 1 KW kilowatt, so it converts 1000 joules of electrical energy into heat every second. We have already learnt something about joule in our previous post, if you want to revisit them, then click on the link below.
Top 20 Amazing Scientific Topics Explained Part - 1
The engine of a medium sized car produces about 50000 watts or 50 KW, while a large electrical power station produces several hundred million watts.
Powerful Electricity: An electric heater converts electrical energy into heat energy. The rate at which it does this is its power. For example, if it converts 1000 joules of electricity into heat in 1 second, its power is 1000 joules per second or 1,000 watts equal to 1 kilowatt.
Let us now understand valency after having an idea about what exactly "watt" is?!
3) Valency
Valency is the combining power of a chemical element. It Tells us how many chemical bonds an element can form when it combines with other elements in compounds. These bonds involve electrons, and so the valency is the number of electrons an element can give, take or share in forming bonds. Some elements always have the same valency. For hydrogen it is always one, for oxygen it is two and for carbon it is four. Other elements have more than one valency. Iron, for example, can combine to form compounds in two ways and so have valency of two in some of its compounds, and in other compounds its valency is three.
I hope it is very very clear to you now.
4) Sulphur Dioxide
Helium is an unreactive noble gas with no colour, taste or smell. It is second only to hydrogen in lightness. Helium is formed in stars such as the sun as hydrogen nuclei are forced together by nuclear fusion. It is named after Helios, the Greek for sun.
There is very little helium on earth. The air contains 5 parts per million of it and it exists in certain rocks. Most of the world's helium comes from the United States, where it is found with natural gas. Helium becomes liquid at about -268.9 degree Celsius which is about 4 degree Celsius above absolute zero and only become solid under pressure, so it is used as a refrigerant and in cold temperature physics research. Liquid helium expands rather than contracts on cooling, and when it only partly fills a container, it will creep up the sides and spillover the rim. You must have seen multi coloured helium filled balloons rise to high altitudes because helium is lighter than air. Also helium is the second element in the periodic table of elements. It is the first noble Gas in the table. It has two protons, two electrons and two neutrons in its atom.
It is a very very light gas! I hope you understood helium gas.
6) Ions
An ion is an atom or group of atoms that possesses an electric charge through the gain or loss of one or more electrons. Usually, an atom is neutral that is neither positively nor negatively charged because the number of positively charged protons in its nucleus equals the number of its negatively charged electrons. In certain situations, however, atoms may lose some of their outer electrons to become positively charged ions. This is called ionization. A positive ion is known as a cation. A negatively charged ion is called an anion. Ions of opposite charges attract each other. Common salt or sodium chloride is a solid crystalline compound in which positive sodium ions and negative chloride ions are held together by this attraction. During electrolysis ions are attracted to electrodes of opposite charges.
Ions form when atoms and molecules lose or gain an electrical charge. A positive hydrogen ion is formed when a neutrally charged hydrogen atom loses its negatively charged electron, so that the atom is left with an overall positive charge. A negative fluoride ion is formed when the neutrally charged atom gains a negatively charged electron. The additional electron gives the whole atom an overall negative charge.
Ionization energy is the energy required to make an action an ion or to make an atom stable. Lithium, the third element, loses its valence electron or the electron present in the last shell to make an ion and be stable! Exploring the atomic world is just so awesome!
7) Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is one of the scales for measuring temperature. It is named after the German scientist Gabriel David Fahrenheit (1686-1736) who was the first person to make an alcohol thermometer in 1709 and a Mercury thermometer in 1714.
He took zero as the temperature of an equal mixture of ice and salt, the normal temperature of the human body as 96 degree Fahrenheit. In fact, normal body temperature is 98.6 degree Fahrenheit. On this scale, the freezing point of pure water is at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the boiling point and 212 degree Fahrenheit. The Fahrenheit scale is still used in the United States, but in countries which use SI units, temperature is usually measured on the Celsius scale.
It was a great invention indeed!
Moving further...
8) Joule
The joule which is represented by J, is the SI unit of energy. The joule is named after a British scientist, James Prescott Joule who was born in Salford in 1818. Although there are many different types of energy, the joule is defined to be equal to the work which is done when a force of one Newton moves through a distance of 1 m in the direction of the force. So, for example, if you need a force of 1 Newton from your hand to lift up an apple and you Move it up through a distance of 1 m, you have used 1 joule of energy.
The kilo joule also represented as kJ is equal to 1000 joules. One joule per second is called a watt. To boil kettle containing a litre of water takes about 340,000 J, this amount of energy would also keep a 60W electric light bulb alight for an hour and half. The kinetic energy of a 1 tonne car travelling at hundred kilometre per hour is about 400,000 J.
These were some examples of joule in daily life. In SI units, one Joule of work is done when a force of one Newton moves through a distance of one metre.
Let's understand more about Joule!
Energy used to be measured in calories. 1 calorie equals to 4.2 J. The energy values of various different foods are given in joules, kilojoules and kilocalories or kcal.
James Joule (1818-1889), was a British physicist who studied with lord Kelvin and the chemist John Dalton. His experiments showed that the production of heat is always accompanied by a loss of another form of energy and so he deduced that heat itself is a form of energy. The unit of energy is named after him. Joule experimented to demonstrate His law. Heat produced by the electric current causes the water temperature to rise steadily. In the experiment, the wire is electrically insulated but still able to pass heat to the water.
9) Dry Ice - Solid Carbon Dioxide
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide. It is formed when carbon dioxide turns directly from a gas into a solid at a temperature of -78.5 degree Celsius. Because it is so cold, dry ice must be handled with extreme care in order to avoid frostbite.
Dry ice is usually prepared by cooling carbon dioxide under high pressure. It looks like snow but can be made into blocks by compressing the flakes. Dry ice is very important for cooling or refrigerating foods and medicines. It is also used to simulate fog and steam effects in television for stage play because it rapidly sublimates that is, turns back to a gas without becoming liquid at ordinary room temperature.
This dry ice or solid carbon dioxide is often used in theatres to make special effects. And that's indeed amazing!
Let us observe another experiment which is fascinating!
10) Joule's Law
Joule's Law States how much heat is generated when an electric current is passed through an electric conductor.
Joule found that when mechanical energy was converted to electrical energy, the amount of heat produced was always in proportion to the energy converted. So, the amount of heat that develops in a wire carrying a current is proportional to the resistance of the wire and the square of the current. If one wants to reduce the production of heat, for example in power lines, it is necessary to keep the current flowing as small as possible.
If you paid attention, you might have understood what does Joule's law exactly mean! Let's move to one of the elements of the PERIODIC TABLE!
11) Strontium
Strontium is a silvery yellow element, found as its compounds in various ores and in the water of some minerals springs. It is a soft, light metal, and is so reactive that it has to be stored away from air and water. It is used with iron to make strong magnets. Strontium compounds are used in glass and pottery, and for giving a bright red flame to flares and fireworks. The metal has a radioactive isotope called Strontium 90, which is produced by the fission of Uranium and occurs in fallout from nuclear explosions. Strontium 90 is very dangerous because it is absorbed into the The body's bones in preference to calcium.
Strontium was discovered in 1790 by Adair Crawford in Ireland. It was first extracted as an element on its own by Humphry Davy. Strontium was named after a Parish in Scotland called Strontian. It was in this area that Strontium oxide was first found as a mineral.
Also, strontium is an element present in the periodic table. It has the atomic number of 38.
Proteins are large molecules made from amino acids that all organisms need. Humans cannot absorb protein from food, it is broken down by digestion, using the smaller amino acid which can be absorbed and these amino acids are used to build new proteins.
In 1869, a Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev created the framework in which, stood all the known elements that we have, into a table known as the Periodic Table Of Elements.
They're basically a group of elements which are numbered or ordered according to the number of protons they have in their nucleus. And we all know, that Protons, Neutrons And Electrons are the constituents of An Atom. If you are curious to learn deep on atoms, then do visit my post:
Atoms: Electrons, Protons And Neutrons.
Well, it wasn't Mendeleev who discovered all the elements. Many scientists had discovered them. The fact is that, he left many gaps for the elements yet to be discovered (at his time) because now we have discovered all the 118 elements. Can there be more? If yes, then will another Mendeleev come to create more gaps? To be answered later in another post.
Acrylic is a synthetic fiber. Acrylic fiber is made from a chemical called acrylonitrile by the process of polymerization. Acrylic is lightweight, soft and warm with a wool like feel. Acrylic retains its shape, resists shrinkage and wrinkles. It can be dyed very well. Acrylic fibers are strong and durable. Acrylic absorbs very little water so it has quick dry quality.
Acrylic fibers are resistant to moths and most chemicals.
Due to its wool like feel, acrylic fiber is often used as a substitute for wool. The wool obtained from natural sources like sheep is quite expensive. Acrylic offers a less expensive alternative to wool. So, the clothes made from acrylic are relatively cheaper but more durable than those made from natural wool.
Many of the sweaters which people wear in winter, and the shawls and blankets which people use, are actually not made from wool, though they appear to be made from wool. They are just made from synthetic fiber called acrylic.
Acrylic fiber is used for making sweaters, shawls, blankets, jackets, sportswear, socks, furnishing fabrics, carpets and as lining for boots and gloves.
Acrylic fiber is a lot in resemblance to wool!
Lets move to metallurgy!
16) Metallurgy
Metallurgy is the branch of chemistry that studies metals. There are two types of metallurgy. Extractive metallurgy and physical metallurgy. Extractive metallurgy deals with the various ways in which metals are separated from there ores. Physical metallurgy is the study of the structure and properties of metals.
Metallurgists use microscope to check for surface flaws in metals. From their analyses, they can find out how best to protect metals from the effects of rust, other corrosion and metal fatigue. The improvement and strengthening of metals for use in manufacturing include such processes as making alloys, heat treatment such as the tempering or annealing of Steel, anodizing, electroplating, galvanizing, and carburizing which is adding carbon to a metal. The formation of the metal into its final shape by hammering, casting, rolling or extrusion or stretching is also a part of physical metallurgy. Recent developments in the science include the study of materials called composites, In which metals are combined with fiber glass or plastic.
Physical metallurgists may study the behavior of metals under great stress. By studying the breaks in metals, metallurgists are able to understand more about their structure and how to reduce the chances of them breaking.
And now let's just understand why a metal is lustrous..
17) Photon
A photon is a particle of electromagnetic radiation. Although electromagnetic radiation behaves like a wave, we know that the waves can only occur in packets of particles with a certain definite energy. The energy of the packet is proportional to the frequency of the radiation. The German physicist Max Planck was the first to realise this.
Amazing! Isn't it?
18) Abrasives
When you rub sandpaper on a piece of wood to smooth it, you are using an abrasive. The tiny bits of sand in the sandpaper wear away the softer surface of the wood. Abrasives are used to smooth, grind, polish, sharpen or cut other materials. Sand is the oldest abrasive. It was used to polish stone weapons and tools as early as 25000 BC. Quartz and pumice are abrasives that are found in the earth. Carborundum is made from a mixture of powdered coke and clay heated in a furnace. It is very hard and can be used to polish gemstones.
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So, that was our today's top 20 scientific topics (Part - 2) explained clearly. I hope you enjoyed our post and please make sure to follow us. Please share and comment if you liked.
More coming soon! Stay Tuned for the upcoming scientific posts.
Created By : Naman Dwivedi
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