Science

The moon is our closest celestial companion. Its gravitational forces affect the Earth's tides, with both the full and new moons responsible for the highest tides. The moon's gravitational pull is...

Ice melts faster in water than in soda. This is because soda has sodium (salt) in it, and adding sodium makes ice melt more slowly than it will in plain water. In order for ice to melt, the...

Water pressure is often measured in "bars" or "atmospheres" in open water. A "bar" equals 100 kilopascals, or 14.5 pounds per square foot. An "atmosphere" represents the pressure exerted by the...

Hydro-electric power plants not only provide clean energy, they also conserve water and provide lakes for fishing, recreation and water sports. There are five major parts to a hydro-electric...

Calcium chloride is a salt of calcium and chlorine. It is used in salt-water aquariums and on roads to melt ice. It is generally not hazardous and can be disposed of in the trash or down the drain.

Saltwater is denser than freshwater because the dissolved salt particles increase the mass of the water without adding to the volume. This allows objects to float better in saltwater than in...

Calculating the weight of lead, given the density of lead, is a matter of finding the volume of the lead object of interest, and then multiplying lead's density times the object's volume. The...

Heron's Fountain is regarded as an example of perpetual motion because hydrostatic pressure changes from sealed containers can produce a continuous flow of water as fluid and pressure are...

Listed as an alkali metal on the periodic table of the elements, potassium (chemical symbol K, atomic number 19) is strongly electropositive, which means it readily gives up an electron, producing...

Water runs downhill. This is the basis for how the height of water towers provides pressure to your tap water. In ancient times, this was the basis for how fountains worked without motors. Each...

A column of water functions to provide pressure in multiple structures. In water towers, the column forces water out of your tap. In a water cooler, it does the same. In a water-based barometer,...

Some of the best rainy-day activities are science experiments. Not only are these entertaining for your kids, they are educational and fun for you, too. An easy project is a homemade thermometer....

Food coloring is designed to dissolve thoroughly when added to water. Removing color from water is as simple as bleaching the color out. This method can also be used to create a neat trick that...

Food coloring mixtures can be easily separated through a method called paper chromatography. While laboratory-grade chromatography kits provide accurate and reliable results, you can create your...

H2O is the chemical formula for a water molecule. The elements of oxygen and hydrogen combine to make water, which is considered a compound because it consists of more than one element.

Understanding basic water quality analysis involves knowing what the water being tested is used for. Surface waters in the United States which may be used for different forms of recreation,...

Pressure in the column of a fluid such as water is generated due to the gravity force. Calculation of that pressure has numerous applications, for example in meteorology or in the design of water...

Rotating garden sprinklers are excellent demonstrations of Newton's third law of motion, the law of interaction. The law states that, for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. To...

A cistern is a type of storage container that typically collects rainwater or runoff. They are made out of a variety of materials including plastic, wood or cement depending upon local resources...

Solar water heaters and heat pumps are devices used to conserve energy spent heating water in the house. Normally, a large amount of energy needs to be spent to run the heating elements or gas...

Humidity, a measure of water vapor in the air, is one of the variables measured in basic meteorology. There are actually several different kinds of humidity, but what most people mean when they...

The equation for pH indicates the acidity or alkalinity of water and other substances by measuring the hydrogen ion concentration. Distilled water theoretically has a pH of 7, or neutral, in a...

In highly ionic compounds, considerable electronegativity difference allows actual electron transfer between atoms. In sodium chloride, an atom of sodium donates an electron, and an atom of...

Potassium nitrate is a powdery chemical component that can be used as a bright flash powder in pyrotechnic displays, for specific lighting effects in photography or videography, or for scientific...

The pH of river water is a measure of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions---which translates to how acidic or basic the water is. Greater concentrations of free hydrogen ions result in higher acidity...

Hydrolysis is the electrical process of separating hydrogen and oxygen gas from liquid water. By this electrochemical reaction, oxygen and hydrogen gases can be created for use as fuels....

Hydrogen fuel can be made from water by an electrical process called hydrolysis. It is an electrochemical reaction in which the oxygen and hydrogen molecules in water (H2O) are separated. As...

Most well water and water intended for processing needs to be tested for chloride ion levels. There are several ways to this, including highly accurate methods that take samples of water back to...

When soil and water meet, their acidity levels interact and combine to influence both. Ultimately, the water drains away and the soil assumes a slightly different acidic content. The acidity of...

The pH scale is in the range from 0 to 14 and determines how basic or acidic a solution is. The neutral media has pH 7. pH values below 7 correspond to acidic solutions, while a pH greater than 7...

Specific gravity is a unitless measure of density, defined as the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water at some specified pressure and density. In tables, the temperature and...

While temperature has little direct effect on wooden beams, it does have a great effect on the moisture both outside and within the beams. By increasing and decreasing the levels of moisture in...

Active, or activated, carbon water filters are used to remove contaminants from water. In most cases, this filtration is done on water intended for drinking or cooking purposes, though it may be...

The presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium makes water hard. Hard water interferes with almost every cleaning activity--laundering, dishwashing or bathing--and is capable of corroding...

A water barometer or storm glass is used to predict stormy weather. It works because of changes in atmospheric pressure. It is usually made with a glass container that has a sealed body and a...

Reverse osmosis is a process used to conduct certain chemical processes and is a popular method of distillation and water purification. Osmosis itself is the transfer of particles through a...

Chlorine dioxide, a synthetic chemical, plays essential roles in disinfection and decontamination of applications, such as maintaining the quality of drinking water and responding to bioterrorism.

Drip emitters are a common method of irrigation. The process requires piping with holes that allow water to escape into the soil in carefully measured amounts, seeping into the surrounding earth...

Euglena is a type of algae that is considered a novel hybrid between plant and animal: it moves around like an animal, but photosynthesizes like a plant. Euglena's bright green color makes it very...

Ballast is a nautical term that refers to additional weight, in a solid or water form, that is taken onto a ship. Ballast is used to help keep a ship stabilized, sufficiently submerged in the...

Originally, ballast referred to materials or systems used to balance ships and other water craft so they were able to stay upright more easily against currents and tides. Today, a ballast tank is...

The pH scale reflects how basic or acidic a water solution is. Neutral media such as distilled water has pH 7. The pH values below 7 correspond to acidic solutions, while a pH greater than 7 is...

When water freezes, it still remains H20, but the hydrogen and oxygen atoms align with the atoms in other water particles to form a structure instead of floating free. Sometimes these structures...

Dams are built to meet a variety of needs, including power generation, irrigation, recreation and flood control. Dam construction results in a number of consequences for ecosystems, and often...

Vehicular water pumps serve as the automobile's cooling system. It serves primarily to make the engine coolant move throughout the different parts of the automobile, and prevents the engine from...

Freshwater biomes include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands. The types of plants found in each type of freshwater biome depend on the biome's location and a variety of characteristics.

Water filtration systems have become increasingly popular with the increased use of bottled water. If you are inclined to create your own water purifier you will need to obtain or develop your own...

Hydrogels are amorphous solids that frequently occur around the house. Many snacks and desserts use the gelatinous property of hydrogels to give treats a unique taste. Hydrogels are important to...

Earth has given us many resources that allow us to survive. We make use of renewable (like sun and air) and nonrenewable (like minerals) resources. Water is one of the main resources we use and...

Water is an essential part of human existence. Not only is drinking water necessary to stay alive, but every ecosystem on earth and many human activities rely on it in some form.