I learned this today. Some metals are not magnetic because the magnetic poles of the atoms within them point in different directions and are weakly repelled by both poles of the magnet. There are different kinds of magnets. Some are permanent magnets, some are magnetized metals, and some are electromagnets. Magnetized metals are magnetic only […]
#181 Why are some metals not magnetic? Read More »
I learned this today. There is a carefully choreographed sequence of steps that enable us to vomit. Vomiting is a form of protection. It is the body’s way of getting rid of threats or things it feels might be dangerous. This could be a poison, it could be a chemical, it could be a virus
#179 How do we vomit? Read More »
I learned this today. Nobody knows why gravity exists. They can explain what happens, but not really why. Gravity can be observed, but not completely explained. Gravity is the force whereby objects with mass are attracted to each other. This force is related to the mass of the objects and the distance between them. The
#173 Why does gravity exist? Read More »
I learned this today. Concrete goes hard because the filler (usually something like gravel) is glued together by the binder (usually cement) through the process of hydration. Concrete is probably the most common building material in the world. Without it, our cities would not look anything like they do. Concrete has been with us for
#172 Why does concrete go hard? Read More »
I learned this today. Our bodies make energy from food by breaking it down and converting the chemical energy that is stored in it. Our bodies need energy to move and to exercise, but we also need energy just to live. Even when we think we are perfectly still, our bodies are burning energy so
#165 How do humans make energy from food? Read More »
I learned this today. No one seems to know the definite cause of Alzheimer’s Disease but it seems to be connected with the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain, entanglement in the neurons, and inflammation of neurons. Alzheimer’s Disease was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. The disease had obviously existed for thousands of years,
#162 What causes Alzheimer’s Disease? Read More »
I learned this today. A battery works because the chemical reaction within it produces electrons. There are different kinds of batteries that use different chemicals, but the general principle is the same. A battery is an energy storing unit. The energy is stored in the form of chemical energy. A chemical reaction happens that causes
#159 How does a battery work Read More »
I learned this today. Dinosaurs were able to grow so big because they had hollow bones, could get more nutrition out of less food, and they didn’t need to chew their food. The largest land animal today is the African elephant and they grow up to about 3m and weigh about 6 tons. The largest
#158 How could dinosaurs grow so big? Read More »
I learned this today. Superglue works because a chemical reaction occurs that makes it harden. Superglue is made from ethyl cyanoacrylate, which is an acrylic resin. Cyanoacrylate hardens when it comes into contact with water. Cyanoacrylate is an acrylic monomer. A monomer is a molecule that can react together with other monomer molecules to form
#156 How does superglue work? Read More »
I learned this today. What is liquefied natural gas? Liquified natural gas is gas that has been cooled down until it becomes a liquid. There are four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Matter changes from one state to the other depending on how much energy the particles within it have. As more
#154 What is liquefied natural gas? Read More »
