A fuel cell is a device that produces electrical energy through chemical reaction. This energy conversion process is known as electro-chemical energy conversion. The simplest form of electrochemical device that we use in our day to day life is a battery cell. A fuel cell is different from a battery cell in so far as …
Solar energy is created by taking sunlight (solar thermal energy) and converting it into electricity. This conversion takes place via a medium that absorbs the solar energy and then converts it into usable electricity that can power various objects that are electrically operated. While the solar panel is not the most effective method of generating …
The four dimensions are concepts in mathematics to describe different shapes. It is easy to understand a first dimension, second dimension and third dimension shape. All things are 3D in the world, but images can be 2D. A first dimension is as easy as a line. However, what is the fourth dimension? The fourth dimension …
In order to grow a bacterial culture in a lab, a growth medium has to be used to provide the right environment. Mannitol salt agar is a popular bacterial growth medium that biologists use to grow halphile bacteria (these grow fast in high salt concentrations) and can tell the difference between non-pathogenic and pathogenic Staphylococcus …
An earthquake is caused when two blocks or plates of the Earth slip past each other in the lateral, vertical, or a combination of directions in a sudden manner. Due to the large pressures that develop between the Earth’s plates along fault lines at the Earth’s surface, one of the bodies will eventually give way. …
Eddy currents are also referred to as Foucault currents and are created when conductors are exposed to a changing magnetic field because of a field source’s relative motion. Their applications include induction heating and non-destructive testing. Eddy currents are continually researched in order to develop new applications. How do Eddy Currents Work? Eddy currents are …
A throttle position sensor is a device that can detect a difference in throttle position. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) uses throttle position sensors in internal combustion engines to gauge the throttle’s position as well as the rate of change in the throttle’s position in order to relay this information to other devices in the …
A pulse jet engine is a type of jet engine that uses pulses of combustion rather than continuous combustion to stay in the air, thereby reducing fuel costs and increasing efficiency. While pulse jet engines have been used in many functional jets, they can also be used for a variety of other applications such as …
A rheometer is a device that was developed to measure how a liquid’s suspensions or slurries flow when force is applied to it. Many fluids can be tested with a rheometer when a single numerical viscosity value cannot determine them due to their components. A rheometer can also be used to discover the additional parameters …
A bucky ball is a fullerene molecule which is any molecule that is made up entirely of carbon. Specifically, a bucky ball is a spherical fullerene while the cylindrical fullerene is called a carbon nanotube. They were discovered in 1985 and are referred to, chemically, as C60. When they were discovered, it expanded the number …