Science & Nature

The water clock sits alongside the sundial in history as one of the earliest timekeeping mechanisms invented by mankind. Dating back to approximately 1500 B.C., this type of clock was used by...

The backcountry is what some may call "the final frontier." In a day and age with the population ever expanding, and the construction industry growing to support the larger population, less and...

An ecosystem includes all the living organisms within an area and their physical surroundings. These two features of an ecosystem are described as biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.

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.

Do you want to setup a fish tank but aren't quite sure how? This article will help walk you through it.

The Aquaclear 20 is a motorized aquarium filter that helps keep the water clean and fresh. The filter works without problems under most circumstances but may occasionally stop drawing water...

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...

Whether a flower is still on the plant on which it bloomed or cut and on its way to a florist, it still depends on water for cooling and delivery of nutrients. If the water supply is cut off, the...

Locating groundwater and fresh water springs is not a difficult task, but it does take a diligent eye. There are several above-ground clues that will tell you where there is water, and carefully...

With droughts, rising populations and simple wastefulness, the demand for water has risen in recent years, while the supply has dwindled. Thus, it makes sense for cities, states and even entire...

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...

Removing arsenic from water is essential because of known negative human health effects. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the maximum contaminant level for arsenic at 10 parts per...

Oil runoff from cars and other vehicles on land is one of the largest sources of marine pollution. When oil from the land is washed into the lakes and other waterways, it results in severe...

Located between Africa and Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea is considered one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. The Red Sea is connected to the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb...

Flowers almost always look better in the field than after they have been picked and placed in water or dried. With a little forethought and preparation, though, it is not too difficult to acquire...

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,...

Everyone knows that plants need water, but where does the water go? To answer this question, you can perform a simple experiment with flowers and food coloring. It is a kid-friendly activity with...

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.

Waterspouts are often thought of as tornadoes over water, but that is only a partial explanation of what waterspouts are. They do sometimes form from tornadoes that move out over water from land....

A hygrometer is a meteorological instrument that measures relative humidity. Relative humidity is a ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in the air to the partial pressure if the water...

Salt, or sodium chloride, is a chemical compound; it is also an ionic compound, which means it consists of two ions in a crystal structure. Salt companies frequently grow salt crystals in various...

Water clocks, one of the first time-telling devices, first appeared in Ancient Egypt during the reign of King Amenhotep I around 1500 BCE. Most ancient Egyptian water clocks were outflow water...

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,...

The Hocking Hills area of south-central Ohio contains a diverse range of wildlife, including several species of snakes. Many reptile enthusiasts and nature lovers enjoy seeking out snakes (a...

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...

Throughout the eastern and central United States, fishermen have competition. Northern water snakes inhabit rivers, streams, pond and lakes, and they enjoy a nice fish dinner. These dark brown and...

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...

Anyone who has owned a marine aquarium has at some point had the misfortune of accidently causing the salinity in the aquuarium to rise or fall dramatically. This article will help anyone who has...

In the marine aquarium the level of salinity will greatly affect the overall health of the fish and corals. The best salinity level for marine fish is 1.018 degrees of specific gravity; for...

Seals are adorable and interesting marine mammals. They spend most of their time in the water but will also haul out on land to rest or give birth. Seals are not terribly agile on land, but they...

The fishing spider, also known as the dock spider, is a member of the Dolomedes genus. It is similar to other spiders in that it is carnivorous, but instead of hunting on the ground or relying on...

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...

A bird feeder provides an excellent supplemental food source for wild birds. It can also attract a wide variety of birds depending on the type of seed that you use. One downside to bird feeding is...

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...

In a healthy pond, approximately 10 to 20 percent of the pond floor is occupied by aquatic plants. Pond vegetation promotes pond health by providing fish with food, oxygen, and shelter for bedding...

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...

As any aquarium owner knows, algae can be unsightly in an aquarium and detract greatly from the beauty of the sea life within it. One of the main causes of algae is high levels of phosphates in...

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....

Hummingbirds will gravitate to properly filled and maintained feeders that allow them easy access to nectar--a sugar mix that provides them with supplementary calories and energy for searching out...

Did you know more than 95 percent of the water on our planet is undrinkable because of its high saline content? In other words, it's so salty, we'd die if we drank it. Not only is it possible to...