While many of us labored to learn geography in school, we always wondered why it mattered. Here are some reasons why a sound understanding of geography is more important today than ever before. Politics We live in a world that is shaped by the political climate in various locations around the globe. In order to …
What is Fingerprint Identification? Fingerprint identification is the process of using fingerprints to identify an individual. This is very effective because each person has completely unique fingerprints that do not change with age. Fingerprint identification is used for a variety of reasons: security, criminal investigations, and even ergonomics. Fingerprint identification often consists of a fingerprint …
A ferrofluid is a metallic liquid that becomes magnetized when placed in a magnetic field. Ferrofluids are made up of clumps of iron nanoparticles that are evenly placed throughout a carrier fluid such as water or organic solvent. These clumps all work together to create a response to a magnetic field, consequently creating a very …
Xenon is a noble gas–found all the way to the right on the periodic table of elements–that is odorless, colorless and heavy. It has many different uses, but one of the biggest uses that it has is the use in light bulbs. The reason for this is because when xenon is excited, it gives off …
In simple terms, an optical illusion is caused by the structure of both the eye and brain and how they work together. Because of the anatomical make up of the eye and the complexity of the way images of transmitted from the eye to the brain, optical illusions are not as rare as one might …
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. It is also referred to as energy in motion, or as the work required to take an object from being at rest to action/movement. Mathematically, kinetic energy is calculated as ½ of the mass of a body, multiplied by the speed of the body squared, KE=1/2 mv^2. Where …
There are five states of matter that occur when physical forces are applied to them. These states are fairly easy to understand when their physical properties are observed. Depending on the type of matter that is being dealt with, the state of the matter may be more difficult to reach when applying these physical stressors. The best way …
Subatomic particles are the most elementary particles found in nature. The three basic subatomic particles that comprise an atom are protons, electrons, and neutrons. The historical definition of a subatomic particle was expanded over the past several decades to include elementary particles that are less complex than an atom and cannot be broken down further. …
Refractometers measure the refractive index of liquids, gases, and translucent solids such as gemstones. The measurement of how much the speed of light is reduced when traveling through a gas, solid, or solution is referred to as the refractive index. When the device is used to test liquids, it typically measures the salinity, fluid concentration, …
A pitot tube measures pressure levels in liquids. They are most commonly seen in laboratory settings but can be seen in industrial applications as small cylinders. While a pitot tube is not the only device that measures fluid pressure, it is capable of being implemented in much more diverse environments than similar devices. How Pitot …