What is the difference between snowflakes and hail? Snowflakes are made up of ice crystals and hail is a frozen raindrop. Hail are frozen raindrops. They are generally between 5 mm and 15 cm in diameter. Hail is not as common as snow and can only form in a thunderstorm. For hail to form there […]
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How does an air fryer work? A fan circulates hot air at high speed which cooks the food. Firstly, let’s look at how food cooks when it is fried. With deep-frying, food is submerged in oil that is heated to between 177 and 191˚C. That seems pretty hot, but it is far below the boiling
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What causes quicksand? It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. Quicksand is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. That means it is a liquid, but has the properties of a solid when the pressure applied to it changes. A Newtonian fluid is a liquid such as water that flows exactly
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What is in toothpaste? It usually has fluoride, abrasives, flavors, humectants, and detergents. So, what do all of these things do? Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral. It can be found in most places on Earth, and it is also present in our bodies. Our bodies use it to strengthen our bones and teeth. Fluoride
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What are the four laws of thermodynamics? I didn’t know there were four laws until researching this. Thermodynamics is the study of the relationship between heat, temperature, and energy. The 0th law of thermodynamics states that if two systems are in thermodynamic equilibrium with a third system, the first two systems are in equilibrium with
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Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-color-laser-lights-417458/ How does a laser work? By focusing light into a narrow beam. LASER is actually an acronym, and it stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. They have been around since the 1960s when the first laser was built by Theodore H Maiman, although the theory behind them goes
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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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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 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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