Why are rubies red, emeralds green, and sapphires blue? Rubies and sapphires are varieties of the mineral corundum. Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl. They all have impurities that give them their color. Rubies are obviously red. Their name comes from the Latin ruber, which means red. They come in many different shades […]
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Who was Molotov and why was the Molotov cocktail named after him? He was Vyacheslav Molotov, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Soviet Union A Molotov cocktail is usually a bottle full of a flammable fuel with a fuse that is thrown by hand. They have become very famous because they are very easy to
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How does a Geiger counter work? By using radiation to create an electrical signal. There are four types of radiation and they all have different mass and energy. The types are alpha, beta, neutrons, and electromagnetic waves. Alpha particles are the heaviest. They have two protons and two neutrons. They are made by many of
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Why do fish have scales? For protection, for camouflage, and to help them swim faster. There are four basic types of fish scale, but there are many subdivisions within each category. These are the main ones: Placoid scales. They are found on fish such as sharks and manta rays. They are very similar to teeth,
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How do throat lozenges work? They lubricate the throat, suppressing the irritation. Why do we get sore throats? The most common cause of sore throats is viral infections. The second most common is a bacterial infection. The common cold is a good example of a viral infection and strep throat is a good example of
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How do fish breathe underwater? Fish use their gills to take oxygen out of the water. Why do we need oxygen? Most living beings need oxygen to create energy. All animals need to respire, which is the process of releasing energy by breaking down glucose. There are two ways to respire: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic
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Why don’t cats knock things over? It turns out that cats have whiskers on their legs as well as their faces. When I’m making a line of dominos with my daughter, it is inevitable that either she or I will knock them all over. We both seem to have no sensory perception. And yet, my
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How do sparklers work? They burn a combination of metal particles that combust in different colors. Sparklers are coated in a mixture of metal powders and a type of sugar called dextrin. They also contain nitrates and sulfur or charcoal. Each of these ingredients has a different purpose. You must have held a sparkler at
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Why is the Dead Sea so salty? Because the sea evaporates very quickly and there is only one source of freshwater coming in. The Dead Sea is not actually a sea. A sea is defined as “a body of water that is partly surrounded by land”. There are about fifty seas in the world, but
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How thick are Saturn’s rings? The rings of Saturn are incredibly thin. They are only about 10 meters thick. Saturn is a massive planet. It is the second largest planet in the solar system and is 95 times larger than Earth. It is a gas giant, but it could have a solid cure. It has
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