What is cotton? Cotton is a fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. About 27 million tons of cotton is produced every year. India is the largest producer, with 6.1 million tons, and it is followed by China, the USA, Brazil, and Pakistan, in that order. A standard t-shirt requires approximately 226 […]
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What is a solid-state battery? It is a battery that uses a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid solution. As we have more and more electrical appliances, we need more batteries. Our vehicles are gradually becoming electric as well and the size and efficiency of their batteries dictate how much range they have. All batteries
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Why are carrots orange? Because they contain carotenoids, which are orange. Carotenoids are organic pigments that are produced by plants, algae, and some bacteria and fungi. They can be found in vegetables such as pumpkins, carrots, corn, and in animals such as canaries, lobsters, and flamingoes. In plants and algae, carotenoids absorb sunlight for photosynthesis.
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How does LSD work? Nobody actually knows how LSD affects the brain. LSD is the common name for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. So, why is it LSD and not LAD? LSD comes from the German Lysergsäurediethylamid. It was synthesized on November 16, 1938 by Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist. He was searching for ergot alkaloid derivatives,
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How does a hydrogen fuel cell work? They split hydrogen atoms into protons and electrons to generate electricity. There are several different types of fuel cell. This is how a basic hydrogen fuel cell works. The hydrogen is pressurized and fed into the storage tank. When the power is required, pressurized hydrogen is fed into
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Why does hot air rise? Hot air rises because it is less dense than cold air. When something heats up it is having thermal energy applied to it in some form. If you hold your hand out on a sunny day, infrared radiation is supplying energy to the molecules in the skin of your hand,
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When were glasses invented? The first wearable glasses were invented in Italy in the 13th century, but the Romans were using spheres of glass for magnification thirteen hundred years earlier. There are two types of eye problem that require correction with glasses. These are myopia (near-sightedness) and hyperopia (far-sightedness). When you are myopic, the light from
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Why is there a sunken continent underneath New Zealand? There is an almost completely submerged continent called Zealandia in the southern hemisphere. My questions is actually a little bit misleading. The sunken continent isn’t “underneath” New Zealand. New Zealand is part of this continent. Zealandia has an area of 4.9 million km2, which makes it
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How is volcanic ash made and how dangerous is it? Volcanic ash is made of rock, mineral and glass particles that are smaller than 2 mm. It can be extremely dangerous. Volcanic ash is formed during a volcanic eruption. Magma inside the volcano contains dissolved gases and water. These gases are mostly sulfur dioxide and
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Why do we say “born to the purple”? What is Tyrian purple? We say that someone who is born into a royal or powerful family is “born to the purple” because Tyrian purple was an incredibly expensive color that only wealthy and powerful people could afford. The dye for Tyrian purple was made from the
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