Physical Science

My favorite cookie recipe (whole wheat chocolate chip cookies with cashews) says that it will make 48 cookies, and yet I’ve never gotten more than 30 when I make them. That means I’m only getting 62.5% of the number of…
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When learning about atoms, students soon learn about isotopes atoms of the same element that vary only in how many neutrons they have. When learning about elements, the concept of allotropes is similar. Allotropes are different forms of an element…
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In an ideal world, there would always be an equal number of hot dogs and hot dog buns, the peanut butter would be used up in the same sandwich that finishes off the jelly, and there would always be enough…
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Ethyl mercaptan, also known as ethanethiol, is an organic compound (liquid at room temperature) with a strong, unpleasant odor. It is often added to propane, butane, or liquid petroleum gas, which are otherwise odorless, to make it easier to detect…
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To the average person, the word “aromatic” usually means “pleasingly fragrant”. For chemists too, it held this meaning originally. Over time, chemists found that certain organic compounds were much more stable (unreactive) than was normal for similar chemicals. Because many…
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What methods are used by evolutionists to date an archaeological find? And do these methods actually support evolution? Radiocarbon dating is a commonly used method to determine the age of archaeological finds. The process, sometimes referred to as “radiocarbon reading,”…
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Stoichiometry is often the bane of a chemistry student’s existence. Unlike many lessons which can be learned and forgotten after the test, stoichiometry is a tool that is used constantly throughout the remainder of chemistry. If the skill is not…
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Spontaneous combustion has always had some mystical quality about it. How can an object suddenly (or slowly) burst into flames in the absence of any apparent ignition? During the Dark Ages it was associated with witchery or other satanical powers….
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The Clarke Belt has become the term used to describe a Geostationary Orbit from a Science Fiction author, Arthur C. Clarke in 1945 who popularized this orbit as an ideal for communications satellites. A Geostationary Orbit is a Geosynchronous Orbit…
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Moles, of course, are furry critters with poor vision that dig up gardens and golf courses. They’re smaller than your average cat. For students of chemistry, however, the mole is a magic (and often mysterious) number. The mole is nothing…
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