Low energy ion implantation is a technique used to discover the structure of crystals, and the structures of the surfaces of substances. The electrical and magnetic properties of substances can be studied in the same way. The basic principle is…
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Neon was named from the Greek word for new, neos, by its discoverer Sir William Ramsey.Sir William’s main passions in life were far eastern and Greek culture and archeology but his fame came from his work in Chemistry. In 1898…
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Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Considering our bones and teeth are mostly comprised of calcium, that isn’t hard to imagine. Of all the calcium in the human body, 99% of it is contained in the…
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The Discovery of Neon The year is 1895, and while at the British Museum, Henry Meirs tells Sir William Ramsay about a mineral, cleveite, which gives off a gas which Meirs thinks is nitrogen. So, the Scottish Chemist sends his…
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In one decade, Russia has recovered from the abyss of economic depression to become one of the world’s strongest economies, primarily due to the increased demand for natural resources such as oil. Because Russia’s economy is so heavily dependent on…
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What is a Polymer? You could start by breaking down the word: it’s made of two pieces of course, “poly” and “mer”. Most everyone should know that the prefix “poly” means “many”, as in polygon (many angles), polymorph (an organism…
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Helium 5 is an artificially produced isotope of the naturally occurring helium gas. Helium is the second lightest element, and heads the noble gas group of the periodic table. It occurs naturally as the helium-2 and helium-3 isotopes, the main…
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There are many safe, fun experiments that can be carried out using common household items. How about a volcano simulation using baking soda, vinegar and red food coloring? Put the vinegar in a small glass. Add a few drops of…
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Yes, the word is a mouthful, but it also sounds a lot like another word you are probably more familiar with. No, I don’t mean “Colgate”. “Collective” is the word I had in mind. Better yet, the two words (colligative…
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Once an aircraft defies gravity to leave the ground it is subjected to four basic aerodynamic forces known as weight, lift, thrust, and drag. How the aircraft relates to these forces is called flight dynamics and involves three axes of…
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