What causes a heat island? A heat island is caused by cities because they absorb more heat and produce more heat than rural areas. Heat islands are more commonly known as urban heat islands because they happen in urban areas. Before we look at what causes them, let’s look at urban areas themselves. The first
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How does insect repellent work? Insect repellents work by either preventing the insect from detecting the signals given off by people or by using chemicals that insects don’t like. Insect repellents don’t have to repel all insects. They are generally designed to repel those insects that bite us. These are mostly mosquitoes, midges, ticks, and
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Why don’t things stick to Teflon? Things don’t stick to Teflon because the bonds between the atoms in Teflon are so strong that nothing else can stick to them. Teflon is actually a plastic, not a metal. Its chemical name is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Teflon is a brand name, which is why it is always written
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How does an elevator emergency brake work? Modern elevators have an electromagnetic brake that is open when the power is off and the magnet pulls it in so the elevator can move. That way, if the power fails, the brakes will come on and the elevator will stop. Elevators need brakes to stop on each
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Why are bubbles round? Bubbles are round because the liquid they are made of is naturally trying to make the smallest area it possibly can, and that is a sphere. A bubble is made when a liquid encloses a gas. If you are making soap bubbles, then that gas is the air. If you are
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What causes color blindness? Color blindness is a genetic condition where the color sensing cones in the eye don’t function correctly. People with color blindness can see colors, but they cannot differentiate between some colors. The cause of color blindness comes down to the cones in our eyes because they are what detect color. At
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How do ball bearings reduce friction? They reduce friction by turning sliding motion into rolling motion. If you have ever used a fidget spinner, you know that once you give it a spin and let go, it will keep spinning for far longer than you would expect. This is all down to the ball bearings
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What is the conservation of energy? Conservation of energy is the principle behind the First Law of Thermodynamics. The Law of Conservation of Energy says that you can change the state of energy, but energy can never be created and energy can never be destroyed. Before we look at this question, I think we need
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What do enzymes do? Enzymes are proteins that start and speed up chemical reactions in the body. Without enzymes, we could not survive. Without them, our digestion, respiration, and even muscles and nerves would not be able to function fast enough for us to live. There is no exact number for how many enzymes there
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What is the fizz in fizzy drinks? The fizz in fizzy drinks comes from carbon dioxide, which is why the process is called carbonation, and they are called carbonated beverages. A lot of drinks have a natural fizz. Beer has fizz and bubbles because it is made with yeast. The yeast eats sugar and releases
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