Immense Space..

Space is amazing and there’s a lot to wonder about it. Space is really vast and its vastness is incomprehensible to us. Below are some updated , incredible and awesome facts about space along with images and further i think you will find this article cool and interesting. Enjoy the post and do suggest me for betterment of posts and article.

1 )  Origin Of Earth’s Water :

[Image Credit : http://pics-about-space.com%5D

Earth , the only planet supporting life. It is the only planet where water exists in all three forms i.e. Solid Liquid & Gas. About 70% of Earth is covered with water and this is the reason it is known as Blue Planet.

Do you Know Origin Of Earth’s Water is still unknown to us in complete sense. There are numerous hypotheses on how the water accumulated on the Earth’s surface over the past 4.6 billion years in sufficient quantity to form oceans.

2 )  Farthest Space Probe :

[Image Credit : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1%5D

Voyager 1 is the only space probe which has traveled beyond solar system and the only one in interstellar space. Launched by NASA on September 5, 1977 Voyager 1 is at a distance of about 134 AU (2.00×10¹⁰ km) as of winter 2016.

3 ) Star Approaching Towards Our Solar System :

[Image Credit : https://upload.wikimedia.org%5D

Gliese 445 (Gl 445) , an M-type main sequence star , is approaching towards our solar system at about 119 km/s (430,000 km/h; 270,000 mph). The star is currently 17.6 light-years from the Sun and is in the constellation named Camelopardalis, close to Polaris.

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, which is out of our solar system, is headed towards Gliese 445 and in about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will be closer to this star than our own sun.

4 )  Liquid Water On Celestial Objects :

Apart from Earth which has water in all the three states , there are possibilities that other celestial bodies too have liquid water. Possible Planets and Moon’s possessing liquid water are :

Mars , Europa (Jupiter’s Moon) , Ganymede (Jupiter’s Moon) , Enceladus (Saturn’s Moon)

Apart from this there are numerous other star systems and extra-solar planets which may have liquid water as well as posses habitable zone.

5 ) Sunset On Mars :

[Image Credit : [http://www.universetoday.com]

Sunset on Mars taken by NASA’s Spirit Rover in 2005.Both blue aureole and pink sky are seen. Because of the fine nature of Martian dust, it can scatter blue light coming from the Sun forward towards the observer.

6 )  Average Distance Between Earth And Moon :

[ Image Credit : http://www.buzzfeed.com ]

Average distance between Earth and Moon is 384400 km. We can place all the planets of solar system within this average distance between earth and moon.

[ Image Credit : http://www.universetoday.com ]

7 )  Earth’s Image From Edge Of Solar System :

[ Image Credit : http://www.dailymail.co.uk ]

As discussed earlier Voyager 1 is the farthest space probe sent from earth and as a result of which we have got an image of Earth from edge of the solar system. This tiny dot, amid a band of coloured rays, is our planet, as seen from staggering distance of 11,100,000,000 miles away, and pictured in 1990.

8 ) Most Distant Object Seen By Naked Eyes :

Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant object you can see with your naked eyes, two million light years away. It is visible as a dim, fuzzy star from a dark sky site.

 

Now is the time to look some spectacular images of different countries and continents in night from space.

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk%5D

World At Night :

Europe :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

African Continent :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

Australia :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

USA :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

Japan And Eastern China :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

South America :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

Middle East :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

Russia :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

Indian Sub-continent  :

[Image Credit : http://www.telegraph.co.uk]

So This Is Space And There’s Lot And Lot To Wonder About It. We Know Space Is Vast , But Don’t Know How Much Vast , But One Thing We Know Is It’s Beautiful. Enjoy Reading……

[Content Source : http://mashable.com , http://www.telegraph.co.uk , http://www.buzzfeed.com , https://en.wikipedia.org , http://www.universetoday.com ,  http://www.space.com , https://www.nasa.gov%5D

 

 

NASA’s MAVEN Mission And Its Achievement..

Mars Atmosphere And Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) 

[This Is Artist’s Rendering Of The MAVEN Spacecraft ,  Image Credit : nasa.gov]

MAVEN was a space probe designed to study atmosphere of Mars while Orbiting It. It was Launched On November 18, 2013.

MAVEN Reached Mars On September 22, 2014 and orbited it around 6100 km above its surface.

The Primary Objectives of MAVEN were to :

1 ) Examine and determine causes behind change in climatic conditions.

2 ) Investigate current state of the atmosphere’s different layers.

3 ) Determine interaction of atmosphere with Solar Winds and How the sun might have influenced atmospheric changes on the Red Planet. .

4 ) Determine the rate at which neutral gases and ions escape to space and the processes controlling them.

5 ) Determine how much of the planet’s atmosphere and water have been lost to space.

MAVEN is still Operational and will continue its focus on primary objectives.

Achievement :

After 1 year of orbiting Mars , MAVEN has given significant and really helpful results. NASA’s Scientists unlocked the reason behind stripping atmosphere of Mars.

Mars was believed to have thick atmosphere earlier. This atmosphere helped in keeping planet warm enough to support water in liquid state. Liquid water is a key medium and ingredient for life.

MAVEN orbiter mission has determined that ancient Mars suffered drastic climate change and lost its thick atmosphere and surface bodies , which were believed of potentially life giving liquid water because of Solar Winds.

[ Artist’s rendering of a solar storm hitting Mars and stripping ions from the planet’s upper atmosphere. ]

[Image Credits: NASA/GSFC , nasa.gov ]

Solar Winds were reason behind tremendous loss of quantities of gas to space , based on new findings that were announced on, Nov. 5, at a NASA media briefing and in a series of scientific publications.

MAVEN Orbiter Mission helped a lot to study Martian atmosphere and still in operation for further investigation. According to NASA , MAVEN will complete its primary science mission on Nov. 16.

MAVEN Orbiter Mission

• Measurements indicate that the solar wind drives away gas at a rate of about 100 grams (equivalent to roughly 1/4 pound) every second.

• Found that atmospheric erosion increases significantly during solar storms.

• Found that billions of years ago the loss rate was much higher due to the sun was young and more active.

• Saw mars atmosphere got hit by solar storms in March 2015 and the loss was accelerated.

• Found that combination of greater loss rates and increased solar storms in the past , results in loss of atmosphere to space and is likely a major process in changing the Martian climate.

• Indicates that the loss is experienced in three different regions of the Red Planet: down the “tail,” where the solar wind flows behind Mars, above the Martian poles in a “polar plume,” and from an extended cloud of gas surrounding Mars.

In Future : 

MAVEN will complete its primary objectives up-to or on Nov. 16 and we will study Martian atmosphere in more details.

Understanding what happened to the Mars atmosphere will inform our knowledge of the dynamics and evolution of any planetary atmosphere.

[Content Credit : nasa.gov , universetoday.com , theplanets.org , wikipedia.org]

Amazing And Updated Outer Space Facts…. 2

[Image Credit : wallpapercave.com]

As the technology keeps on advancing so does our understanding of Universe. Scientists are trying hard to unlock the mysteries of outer space. Earlier in Space And Astronomy category I wrote a post displaying Amazing And Updated Outer Space Facts. Now , I have listed other facts on outer space or universe in the heading :

” Amazing And Updated Outer Space Facts..2 “

1 ) Earth Is Only Best Known Planet In Universe Till Now :

[Image Credit : boomsbeat.com]

Well That’s True : Our Earth is the only planet in the solar system or universe which is best known to us. No other celestial body is well studied this much. Even Mars and our own natural satellite is still unknown in many terms to us but we will keep studying other celestial bodies to unlock mysteries.

2 ) Exploration From Earth :

[Image Credit : http://www.bbc.co.uk]

Maximum discoveries of the celestial bodies before the installation of Hubble Telescope were made from earth.

3 ) Essential Elements Of Life (Classical Elements) :

[Image Credit : corawen.com]

According to the ancient philosophers or mythology , there are 5 most important essential things of which anything can consists and of which the constitution and fundamental powers of everything are based. These essentials are known as Classical Elements. The 5 important Classical Elements are : Earth , Air , Water , Fire and Sky or Space .

4 ) Essential Elements Of Life (Today’s Thinking) :

[Image  Credit : warrenhills.org]

According to today’s thinking , there are six most important chemical elements whose covalent combinations make up most biological molecules on Earth. These 6 Elements are : Carbon , Hydrogen , Nitrogen , Oxygen , Phosphorus and Sulfur.

5 ) Hydrogen , The Most Abundant Element :

[Image Credit : learnhive.net (Hydrogen) , theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.in (Helium)]

How big is universe , it is yet to be understood but , as far as the understanding of availability of elements in observable Space is concerned , 74% of the mass of the visible universe is in the form of hydrogen. Helium comes next occupying 24% Of Observable Universe followed by other heavy elements in small percentage.

6 )  Distribution Of Matter and Energy in the Universe :

[Image Credit : wikipedia.org]

Well !!! we can tell distribution of energy  and matter in universe by looking at above picture. It is estimated that Universe is covered 68% with Dark Energy , 27%  with dark matter and rest other 5% is covered by ordinary matter.

7 ) Mysteries :

We haven’t seen Dark Matter and Dark Energy yet. But there presence influence a lot.

8 ) Dark Energy : 

Dark energy is unknown form of energy the most accepted hypothesis to explain the observations since the 1990s indicating that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.

9 ) Evidence Of Existence Of Dark Energy :

Evidence of dark energy came from the observations in 1998 of  Type Ia supernovae (“one-A”) by the High-Z Supernova Search Team followed and in 1999 by the Supernova Cosmology Project suggested that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Thus is was assumed that Some kind of unknown force or energy is causing it and name was given Dark Energy.

10 ) Dark Matter :

Dark matter is invisible and a hypothetical kind of matter that cannot be seen. The existence and properties of dark matter are inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter, on radiation, and on the large-scale structure of the universe. Dark matter has not been detected directly, making it one of the greatest mysteries in modern astrophysics.

Hope You Enjoy Every Bit Of Information. Thank You..

[Content Source : universetoday.com , chem4kids.com , science.nasa.gov , wikipedia.org , lbl.gov]

Seeds Of Life In The Universe

Life we see today whether it is our life , plants life , animals life or any other living organism’s live  , it makes us to think , How the first life originated on earth , How it looked like , When it Started and many  many questions..

Google these questions and you will that there is no single correct answer.

How life originated is still a problem to be solved. There are many theories explaining the origin of life but the facts supporting these ideas are few.

It  is generally agreed that all the living forms today evolved around 3,900 million years ago from single primitive lifeform. Now from where this lifeform came about is again a mystery.

However scientists think that it was a natural process. From all these uncountable things , one thing is real , that is there are few elements which are very important for the life. For example : carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur  (stands for acronym CHNOPS )

These Elements can be said as Seeds Of Life.

According to the new survey of hot, X-ray-emitting gas in the Virgo galaxy cluster , elements important for life on Earth are available in similar relative proportions throughout the bulk of the universe.

The elements needed to make stars, planets and people were evenly distributed across millions of light-years early in cosmic history, more than 10 billion years ago, researchers said.

The Virgo cluster, located about 54 million light-years away, is the nearest galaxy cluster and the second brightest in X-rays.The cluster is home to more than 2,000 galaxies, and the space between them is filled with a diffuse gas so hot it glows in X-rays.

The observations were taken at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Sagamihara by using Japan’s Suzaku X-ray satellite. The team for this purpose was led by Aurora Simionescu, an astrophysicist at JAXA. Researchers accquired observations of the cluster along four arms extending up to 5 million light-years from its centre.

Different classes of supernovae produce different chemical compositions. Core-collapse supernovae mostly scatter elements ranging from oxygen to silicon, while white dwarf explosions release predominantly heavier elements, such as iron and nickel.

Once the chemical elements made by supernovae are scattered and mixed into interstellar space, they become incorporated into later generations of stars.

In an earlier study led by Norbert Werner, from the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University, Suzaku data showed that iron was distributed uniformly throughout the Perseus Galaxy Cluster, but information about lighter elements mainly produced by core-collapse supernovae was unavailable.

The Virgo Cluster observations supply the missing ingredients.

Simionescu and her colleagues showed they detect iron, magnesium, silicon and sulphur all the way across a galaxy cluster for the first time.

The elemental ratios are constant throughout the entire volume of the cluster and roughly consistent with the composition of the Sun and most of the stars in our own galaxy, researchers said.

The study shows that the chemical elements in the cosmos are well mixed, showing little variation on the largest scales.

The same ratio of supernova types – the same recipe – thought to be responsible for the solar system’s makeup was at work throughout the universe.

“This means that elements so important to life on Earth are available, on average, in similar relative proportions throughout the bulk of the universe,” said Simionescu.

The findings appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Story First Published: October 27, 2015 12:51 IST

[Image Source : martinweigel.files.wordpress.com , natureworldnews.com]

[Content Source : ndtv.com , livescience.com , wikipedia.org]

Pluto In Light…

Pluto , Once which was considered as the ninth planet and the most distant planet from the sun, is now the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system.

[ Image Source : NASA-JHUAPL-SWRI ]

Pluto which was limited to the humans in terms of  Geography , Orbit shape , Images (although artistic images were present) etc , has again attracted from astronomers to the common people now. I would say it is PLUTO’S REVENGE for reclassifying it as Dwarf Planet from simply a Planet. NASA’s New Horizons sent a better and new view of Pluto Via Pictures. After more than nine years and billion miles of journey it’s the show time for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.

Look !! How was the reaction of NASA’s New Horizons Team Members after new  pictures of Pluto were received..

[ Image Source : universetoday.com , NASA ]

Read and enjoy Some facts about Pluto and let yourself know about this planet in more detail.

• Pluto was discovered in 1930 on February 18 by Clyde Tombaugh, and was originally considered the ninth planet from the Sun.

[Image Source : corbisimages.com]

• Discovery of Eris in 2005  led the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term “Planet” formally for the first time the following year.

• This definition excluded Pluto and reclassified it as a member of the new “dwarf planet” category (and specifically as a plutoid).

• Pluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond Neptune.

[Image Source : amazing-space.stsci.edu ]

• The name Pluto, after the god of the underworld, was proposed by Venetia Burney (1918–2009).

• She was then eleven-year-old schoolgirl in Oxford, England, who was interested in classical mythology.

• Venetia Burney suggested name ” Pluto” in a conversation with her grandfather Falconer Madan, a former librarian at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, who passed the name to astronomy professor Herbert Hall Turner and he further passed it to his colleagues in the United States.

• A small Voting was held and each member of Lowell Observatory was allowed to vote to decide name of the object out of short-list of three: Minerva (which was already the name for an asteroid), Cronus and Pluto at Lowell Observatory.

• Pluto received every vote and thus the name was kept.

• The object was officially named on March 24, 1930.

• Falconer Madan grandfather of  Venetia gave her £5 (equivalent to 300 GBP, or 450 USD in 2015) as a reward.

• Minor Planet Catalogue  designation of Pluto is : 134340 Pluto

• Pluto was the first Kuiper belt object to be discovered.

• It is the largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System.

• It is the second-most-massive dwarf planet in the Solar System.

• It is ninth-largest known object directly orbiting the Sun.

• It is the largest known Trans-Neptunian object by volume.

• It is tenth-most-massive known object directly orbiting the Sun.

• Light from the Sun takes about 5.5 hours to reach Pluto at its average distance (39.4 AU).

• Pluto has moderately eccentric and inclined orbit during which it ranges from 30 to 49 AU (4.4–7.3 billion km) from the Sun.

[Image Source : nasa.gov ]

• It is due to its orbit that Pluto periodically comes closer to the Sun than Neptune, but a stable orbital resonance with Neptune prevents them from colliding.

• Pluto has five known moons: Charon , Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra.

Moons Of Pluto. [ Image Source : nineplanets.org , nasa.gov ]

Hubble Image Of the Moons of the Pluto. [ Image Source : wikipedia.org , nasa.gov ]

Charon (The Moon Of Pluto) by New Horizons on 13 July 2015. [ Image Source : wikipedia.org , nasa.gov ]

[ Image Source : nasa.gov ]

• On July 14, 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft became the first spacecraft to fly by Pluto.

• During its flyby, New Horizons made detailed measurements and observations of Pluto and its moons.

• Orbital period of Pluto is 247.94 years.

• Escape Velocity of Pluto is 1.212 km/s.

• Recent measurements obtained by New Horizons indicate that Pluto has a diameter of 1,473 miles (2370 km, while Charon has a diameter of 751 miles (1208 km).

Size of Pluto as compared to Earth in picture :

The animated picture shows Pluto and Charon as they would appear if placed slightly above Earth’s surface and viewed from a great distance. [ Image Source : universetoday.com , nasa.gov]

Pluto’s New Images As Taken By New Horizon :

The images were taken as New Horizons flew past Pluto on July 14, 2015, from a distance of 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers).             [Image Source : NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute]

This image was taken as New Horizons flew past Pluto on July 14, 2015, from a distance of 50,000 miles (80,000kilometers).                            [ Image Source : Credits: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute ]

This image was taken as New Horizons flew past Pluto on July 14, 2015, from a distance of 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers).                           [ Image Source : nasa.gov ]

This image was taken as New Horizons flew past Pluto on July 14, 2015, from a distance of 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers).

[ Image Source : NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute ]

For description of the pictures above please visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html. This distant planet will be studied more in the upcoming years and the questions which are unanswered will be answered. I have tried to post this article as simple as i can so that readers (especially kids) find it easy to understand and learn. Thank you…..

[Sources : universetoday.com , nasa.gov , space.com , space-facts.com , space.com , wikipedia.org ]

Light Technically…

Light…

We see different things in light. We can perform activities , differentiate between colors , distinguish items and lot more.All these became possible because of light. We cannot imagine how our life would have been without light. Light is really important to us.

Humans , Animals & Plants all need light for survival. It is this light which is the triggering force behind many chemical, biological and physiological changes in life forms on Earth.

But the purpose of this topic ‘Light’ under this post is not only to mention importance of light , but to tell you what is light actually ? , How can we define light ? , What is the study of light called ? ,  What are sources of light ? , What are primary properties of light ? , Is light a particle or wave ? , How does light behaves ? , etc.

We will find numerous theories and articles describing what is light and its form. But , the truth is Light is still a mystery.  When studying Lights , the first question that arises is What is Light ? How can we define light technically ?

Well… we will try to define light in general and technical terms as well . Light has many forms & like light itself, the word can take a lot of different forms — it can be a noun, an adjective, or a verb, and it can mean “bright” or “not heavy”. Before Reading further please note that , when looking in different books , education portals , websites , blogs etc you will find that there are many definitions of Light in general but there actual meaning is the same. So It depends on you (or readers) which one to choose. Similarly when going for technical meaning you will find slight changes in definition of light but again the actual meaning is same.

General Definition Of Light :

Out of many , few selected definitions of Light in general are :

1. The form of energy that makes it possible to see things or something that makes vision possible.
2. The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
3. Electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation.

Light Technically :

1. In Physics Light is sometimes referred to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not. In this sense, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves and radio waves are also light.                            [Source : Wikipedia.org]
2. Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.                        [Source : Wikipedia.org]

The word light usually refers to visible light, which is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight.

Visible Light :

As the name implies visible light is the light which makes us see things around us. Now you will find similarity in above definitions of light (general definition) and visible light. Do not confuse yourself in the terms light and visible light.

Lets understand clearly ; Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and visible light is that portion of electromagnetic spectrum which is visible to human eye. This portion is also known as Visible Spectrum.

Visible light are having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 (nm) between the infrared (with longer wavelengths) and the ultraviolet (with shorter wavelengths). This wavelength have a frequency range of roughly 430–750 (THz).

Study Of Light :

Optics is the branch of science which study the behavior and properties of light and its interactions with matter . Or in short Study of light is called Optics.

Sources Of Light :

Everyone knows the primary source of light on earth. Of course our nearest star to us i.e. our Sun. Fire is another important source of light for humans from historical point of view. Human made sources of light are known as artificial source of light. Other sources of light are electric bulb , LED bulbs , candle , battery operated torch , etc.

Primary Properties Of Light  (Visible Light) :

Primary properties of visible light are : Intensity , Propagation Direction , Frequency Or Wavelength Spectrum , Polarisation & Speed ( it is fundamental constants of nature. With value in a vacuum is, 299,792,458 meters per second )

Light Is Particle Or Wave :

Well this is still a unsolved mystery of science. For hundreds of years , people have argued whether light is a wave or a particle. After long study scientists came to conclusion that things are way more confusing than that. Scientists performed studies which seem to show that a photon can act as a wave and a particle at the same time. However , further studies show that a photon can choose itself to be a wave or particle only under controlled conditions. This concept seems simple but scientists have no explanation for this and they are in search for answers . Thus dual nature of light was assumed and given the name ” Wave – Particle Duality”.

Behavior Of Light :

( Assuming light as waves ) Light waves behave in four particularly interesting and useful ways that are :

Reflection , Refraction , Diffraction And Interference.

Importance Of Light To Us :

• Light is really really important to us. One biggest importance of light is survival of living beings on earth.
• Humans need light to see and go about daily activities.
• The invention of fire was man’s attempt to substitute the light of the day while he fights the darkness of the night.
• Today, technological advancements allow people to exploit other beneficial uses of light such as solar power.
• The light from the sun is used to power many different devices around the world.
• The power of light also fuels human spirituality.
• Light has long been man’s companion during times of meditation and prayer. Light is a means of communication.
• Beacons, lasers, reflective devices and flashlights of various types prove useful in the conveyance of messages.

In short Light is part of daily life, and it is impossible to live without it.

This post covers few concepts of Light like ; what is light , its source , properties , behavior etc. In the next post under physics section of science category we will discuss other topics related to light.

Enjoy reading..thank you…

[Source : explainthatstuff.com , wikipedia.org , listverse.com , physics.tutorvista.com , ask.com]

[Image Source : consciouslifestyles.files.wordpress.com , cliparts.co ]

Elecricity Fun Facts…..

Electricity plays an important role in everyday life. Imagine a life without electricity. Read some fun facts about static electricity , circuits , electric eel , volts , amp , etc.

• Modern society relies heavily on the convenience and versatility of electricity. It powers your microwave, helps light your house, lets you watch TV and so much more.

• Electric current is measured in amperes (amps).

• Electric potential energy is measured in volts.

• Two positive charges repel each other, as do two negative charges. Opposite charges on the other hand attract each other.

• When an electric charge builds up on the surface of an object it creates static electricity. You have probably experienced static electricity in the form of a small electric shock, which is what happens when the electric charge is quickly neutralized by an opposite charge.

• Electric eels can produce strong electric shocks of around 500 volts for both self defense and hunting.

• Electric circuits can contain parts such as switches, transformers, resistors and transformers.

• A common way to produce electricity is by hydro power, a process that generates electricity by using water to spin turbines attached to generators.

• The world’s biggest source of energy for producing electricity comes from coal. The burning of coal in furnaces heats boiler water until it becomes steam which then spins turbines attached to generators.

• Lightning is a discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. Lightning bolts can travel at around 210,000 kph (130,000 mph), while reaching nearly 30,000 °C (54,000 °F) in temperature.

• Electricity plays a role in the way your heart beats. Muscle cells in the heart are contracted by electricity going through the heart. Electrocardiogram (ECG) machines used in hospitals measure the electricity going through someone’s heart, when the person is healthy it usually shows a line moving across a screen with regular spikes as the heart beats.

• You may have heard of direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). The difference between the two is in the way the electrons flow. In DC electrons move in a single direction while in AC they change directions, switching between backwards and forwards. The electricity use in your home is AC while DC comes from sources that include batteries.

• Back in the 1880’s there was even a ‘war of currents’ between Thomas Edison (who helped invent DC) and Nikola Tesla (who helped invent AC). Both wanted their system to be used with AC eventually winning out due to the fact that it is safer and can be used over longer distances.

• Electric fields work in a similar way to gravity with an important exception being that while gravity always attracts, electric fields can either attract or repulse.

• American Benjamin Franklin carried out extensive electricity research in the 18th century, inventing the lightning rod amongst his many discoveries. Lightning rods protect buildings in the event of lightning by conducting lightning strikes through a grounded wire.

  …….[Source : sciencekids.co.nz]

More on ‘ Matter ‘ …..

In the previous post we discussed about what is matter , what is it made up of , states of matter & changing state of matter.

In this post we will discuss few chemistry terms for change of phase or a state to another.

Generally, solids are more dense than liquids because their molecules are closer together. The freezing process compacts the molecules into a smaller space.

There are always exceptions in science. Water is special in many sense. It has more space between its molecules when it is frozen. The molecules organize in a specific arrangement that takes up more space than when they are all loose in the liquid state. Because the same number of molecules take up more space, solid water is less dense than liquid water.

Solid to Liquid Change Is : Melting

Liquid To Gas : Boiling (Or Vaporization)

Gas To Liquid Change : Condensation

Liquid To Solid : Freezing

Solid To Gas : Sublimation

Gas To Solid : Deposition

An easiest example of sublimation might be dry ice. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide (CO₂). Amazingly, when you leave dry ice out in a room, it just turns into a gas. Have you ever heard of liquid carbon dioxide? It can be made, but not in normal situations. Coal is another example of a compound that will not melt at normal atmospheric pressures. It will sublimate at very high temperatures.

An example of deposition is those little frost crystals that build up on plants when water vapor from the air becomes a solid on the leaves of plants.

Gaseous To Plasma :

[Image Source : chem4kids.com]

Let’s take an example of gas like neon (Ne). Which we want to convert to a plasma state. To do so we need gas to be ionized so that its electrons can be separated from atoms. Electrons have a negative charge. Eventually, you’ll have groups of positively and negatively charged particles in almost equal concentrations. They wind up in a big plasma ball. Because the positive and negative charges are in equal amounts, the charge of the entire plasma is close to neutral. Neutral happens when a whole bunch of positive particles cancel out the charges of an equal bunch of negatively charged particles.

Plasma can be made from a gas if a lot of energy is pushed into the gas. In the case of neon, it is electrical energy that pulls the electrons off. When it is time to become a gas again, just flip the neon light switch off. Without the electricity to energize the atoms, the neon plasma returns to its gaseous state. We have a special world here on Earth. We have an environment where you don’t find a lot of everyday plasma. Once you leave the planet and travel through the Universe, you will find plasma everywhere. It’s in stars and all of the space in between.

Here we have completed understanding Matter , its state & chemistry terms for change of state or phase.

I hope you understood matter and why it is important to study first. Studying matter will help you understand later chapters of chemistry.                                                                                                      [Source : chem4kids.com]

Matter…

Matter is the first topic or chapter which is taught in schools when we study chemistry.

Many times a question starts wondering in mind that why can’t we skip ‘matter’ and study atoms and molecules.

Will it matter if we study ‘ Matter ‘ in later chapters of basic chemistry concepts ?

Yes..it matters a lot..

Let me explain you why…

We cannot evaluate problems in mathematics or physics unless basics get cleared i.e. To evaluate or solve mathematical problems we need to know basic operations like multiplication (*) , division (/ ) , addition (+) & subtraction (-) , we should know theorems , algebraic equations etc.

Or let me explain it in more simpler way :

Like  Basics laws must be cleared before going deep in complex part of subjects like Physics same as Basics of operations , Number system , Tables ,  powers and indices , ratio and proportion etc. must be cleared in Mathematics before we go in complex problems.

Similarly ;

In Chemistry matter forms a basic part. Studying and Understanding Matter is initial step while studying chemistry. Studying Later topics will become easy when you understand what matter is , what it is made up of , etc.

So let us learn what is actually ‘matter’ .

What Is Matter ?

Matter is stuff around us i.e. Matter is everything around us. The computer output screen is made up of matter , your computer , table , pen , yourself are made up of matter.Atoms and molecules are all composed of matter.

So now,

Matter may be defined properly as :

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space (Or occupies some space).

What Makes Up Matter ?

Matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms and molecules. Now since everythhing is made up of matter and matter is made up of tiny particles This means that every thing that surrounds us including ourself and has mass and occupies space is made up of tiny particles.

States Of Matter :

There are 5 states Of Matter.

Solids, Liquids, Gases, Plasmas, and Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC).

We already new about solids, liquids & gases but later Plasma was a new idea when it was identified by William Crookes in 1879. The scientists who worked with the Bose-Einstein condensate received a Nobel Prize for their work in 1995.

What is state of matter ?

In physics, a state of matter is one of the distinct forms that matter takes on. Four states of matter are observable in everyday life: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Bose–Einstein condensates only occur in extreme situations such as ultra cold or ultra dense matter.

[ Image Source : chem4kids.com]

Changing State Of Matter :

[ Image Source : chem4kids.com]

Changing from one state to another is called change of state of matter.

Like water at normal room temperature is in liquid at room temperature but heating it changes water from liquid to gaseous (water vapors) state. Condensing Gaseous state will again convert it into liquid state.

How can we change physical state of matter ?

Physical state of matter can be changed in two ways :

1. By changing the temperature and
2. By changing the pressure.

For example, when the temperature of a system goes up, the matter in the system becomes more excited and active. If enough energy is placed in a system, a change in system may occur as the matter moves to a more active state.

Think about it this way. Let’s say you have a glass of water (H₂O).When the temperature of the water goes up, the molecules get more excited and bounce around a lot more. If you give a liquid water molecule enough energy, it escapes the liquid state and becomes a gas.

[ Image Source : chem4kids.com]

By increasing the temperature , a Solid can be converted to  Liquid ; and Liquid To Gaseous State.

By decreasing the temperature a Gas can be converted to Liquid ; and liquid to Solid.

………..[Source : chem4kids.com]

Fun-Facts Chemistry…

Read some fun-facts about chemistry. Especially kids will find it interesting to read. find out more about atoms, elements, gases, liquids, solids, experiments, cool chemicals and much more under sub-categories of chemistry.Every one who will read this  will love the did you know facts and other interesting chemistry information especially kids that will help them learn a thing or two along the way.

• Hydrogen is the first element on the periodic table. It has an atomic number of 1. It is highly flammable and is the most common element found in our universe.

• Liquid nitrogen boils at 77 kelvin (−196 °C, −321 °F).
• Around 1% of the sun’s mass is oxygen.
• Helium is lighter than the air around us so it floats, that’s why it is perfect for the balloons you get at parties.
• Carbon comes in a number of different forms (allotropes), these include diamond, graphite and impure forms such as coal.
• Under normal conditions, oil and water do not mix.

• Things invisible to the human eye can often be seen under UV light, which comes in handy for both scientists and detectives.
• Above 4 °C, water expands when heated and contracts when cooled. But between 4 °C and 0 °C it does the opposite, contracting when heated and expanding when cooled. Stronger hydrogen and oxygen bonds are formed as the water crystallizes into ice. By the time it’s frozen it takes up around 9% more space.
• Athletes at the Olympic Games have to be careful how much coffee they drink. The caffeine in coffee is a banned substance because it can enhance performance. One or two cups are fine but they can go over the limit with more than five. (update – as of 2004 caffeine has been taken back off the WADA banned list but its use will be closely monitored to prevent future abuse by athletes.)                                                                                                                                                                                                                         [Source : sciencekids.co.nz]