Polypropylene (with the chemical name of C3H6) is a kind of plastic polymer. It has numerous applications, and is a key ingredient in both industrial processes and consumer goods. Even if not many know of the chemical, nearly everbody has somehow encountered and even used it. If you have heated...
Soda ash is the common name for sodium carbonate (with the chemical formula of Na2CO3). It is actually an acidic substance, with the physical properties of a crystallized heptahydrate. Soda ash can, however, be broken down into a monohydrate—like when it is in white, powdery form. Soda ash is made...
Sulfur is a chemical element with the symbol “S” and an atomic number of 16. It is considered to be a non-metal. It has a number of different ions, resulting in Sulfites (which are used in food processing) and sulfates (which are used in manufacturing). Sulfur can also be found in living organisms...
An autopsy is also known as a post-mortem examination. It is a thorough medical examination of a deceased individual in order to determine the cause of death. A pathologist, coroner, or medical examiner does the medical examination in order to ascertain not just the cause of death, but other...
The Aral Sea is shrinking and was the focus of a United Nations visit to the region of Central Asia. The Aral Sea was once the fourth largest lake in the world. In 1960 the lake supported a multitude of fresh and salt water fish, the fishing industries of the now ghost towns of the Uzbek Soviet...
In an effort to determine if an individual is being honest, he or she can undergo a lie detector test. Such a test involves measuring the individual’s response to questions posed by an examiner. The answers provided are measured by physiological responses and are later evaluated and analyzed by a...
Washing soda is often used to remove stains from clothes. However, it is not the same as washing detergent. It is also nothing like baking soda, which is also used to remove stains. (Are you confused yet?) Washing soda is an alkaline with the chemical formula of Na2CO3. It is sometimes called...
A new dinosaur extinction theory has been introduced by British researchers. A team of scientists lead by Gregory Price from Plymouth University studying fossils in Norway at the Arctic Svalbard discovered that a severe change in the Atlantic Gulf Stream during the Cretaceous Era caused sea...
The atomic bomb is the most powerful weapon in the world. It triggers a nuclear chain reaction, which can unleash the energy equivalent of a million, or even a billion, TNT. The atomic bomb was developed in the Manhattan Project, under the leadership of General Leslie Groves. The first “test”...
Beets (“beta vulgaris” or common beet in Latin) are a kind of plant that were endemic to the Mediterranean but now flourish in several parts of the globe. They are quite easy to cultivate since they adapt well to different environments, except those that have extreme hot or cold temperatures....
