FAQ's @ ETHS
You've got questions. Unfortunately, I don't have all the answers
in class. But, I do know how to find the answers, and I will post
as many of the answers as I can remember to look up here. So much
to learn, so little time. Enjoy!
Q: What is the history of Fahrenheit and Celsius?
A: As many in class suspected, the Fahrenheit scale did come
first. And it was named after a scientist
named...Fahrenheit!. Here's
a link to learn more.
Q: How far can we see into space?
A: I knew it had to do with how far the Hubble could see - here
it is:
"Our best telescope for visual viewing, the Hubble telescope in orbit,
can see a distance of about 19 billion years, or, in other words, can
see galaxies that were formed a mere billion years after the birth of
the universe!" link
for more details
Q: How many layers of skin do we have?
A: As I mentioned in class, there are 3 main layers - see link
for more details.
9/27/04
Q: Is Diet Coke bad for you?
A: Contrary to many myths, Diet Coke contains a warning about
Aspartame as a result of some potential harm to specific groups of
people. LINK
FDA
Statement on Aspartame MIT
Study on Aspartame
Q: What are the origins for the words, protons, electrons, and
neutrons?
A: Not sure about this one, yet. Will keep researching...
10/16/04
Q: Can you overdoes on sugar?
A: This one came up during our discussion on the density of coke
vs. diet coke. We were amazed at the amount of sugar that one can
of coke contains (39 grams - looks a lot more than it sounds). It
looks like our bodies can regulate the intake of sugar, but it's still
not a great idea of down that 9th can of coke in the last hour.
In healthy people, insulin regulates the
uptake of sugar from the blood. People with Type 1 diabetes who ingest
too much sugar will typically have a range of symptoms before
succumbing to "ketoacidosis," a condition where the sugar can not be
taken up by tissues and this triggers the body to use alternate fuel
sources, such as fats. The breakdown products (called ketones) of these
fuel sources saturate the blood, and can cause permanent damage and
death. In people with Type 2 diabetes, the lack of usable sugar never
triggers the use of alternate fuels. The brain, starved of fuel, shuts
down its higher brain functions, and the person slips into a coma. Lack
of treatment will result in death.
Again, in healthy humans there are mechanisms to regulate blood sugar
and ketones in the blood. This does not mean that too much sugar isn't
bad for you. There is only so much sugar that the body's tissues can
take up and store over a given amount of time. Pushing this limit risks
damage to the kidneys, from both accumulation of the sugar and the
extreme dehydration it would induce. It is possible that a significant
amount of dehydration could induce lethargy and perhaps passing out.
Hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients is usually only a risk when the
patient has a sustained infection or illness or is on medication that
can raise their bloodsugar levels. Erowid
Q: How does helium make your voice change?
A: This came up in class, and we were right in hypothesizing
about the lighter density of helium. As the sound waves move
through the helium, they move more quickly than
they do in air. When you inhale helium you increase the speed of the
sound of your voice. The shape of your vocal tract does not change. If
you increase the speed of a sound you also increase the wavelength.
However, on the way to the ear the sound travels through air again and
the wavelength goes back to normal. It is not the change in frequency
that gives you the squeaky voice but a change in pitch. The sound has
the same frequencies but helium causes a shift in your timbre. This
means the higher frequencies are getting a higher enhancement than
normal so the pitch changes. Although this does not change the
frequency of the sound wave, it does enhance the higher frequencies of
your voice. This emphasis on the higher frequencies is heard as a
higher pitch. If the gas in your voice box had heavier molecules than
air, the opposite would occur. Singapore
Science Centre
Q: Why are the chemical names changed to -ide?
A: Not much info on this one. Lavoisier was one of the
first to push for a system of naming compounds, 100 of which were in
existence at the time with crazy names such as "foliated earth of
tartar". He published Méthode de nomenclature chimique
and pushed for this system. Chem
Team page
10/24/04
Q: Will the earth explode if there are no earthquakes?
A: Just as we speculated in class, it is not earthquakes that
release the pressure buildup in the earth, but rather volcanos.
However, without earthquakes, there would be no volcanoes or mountains,
so a connection can be made. Earth
Science Answers
11/7/04
Q: What is ink made of?
A: An appropriate quesiton for chemistry. Modern day ink is
made of three components: a colorant, a solvent, and a
binder. More info from MadSci,
Yahoo letter
1/8/05
Q: What do the letters s, p, d, and f stand for in the electron
configurations?
A: Thanks to my ETHS mentor, Mr. Carpenter for digging up this
one. He knew it right away, but we confirmed it in some old
textbooks that he had. The letters stand for spectroscopy terms,
sharp (S), principal (P), diffuse (D), and fundamental (F).
Q: What do airlines use for de-icing planes?
A: Propylene glycols are used, though there seem to be other less
environmental friendly options. Here's a link to some of the
chemicals used: Link
Q: Are tanning salons safe?
A: You would think that technology has improved enough to make
them safer, and given that there are still many salons around, they
must be safer now, right? Well, some articles that I found have
been very negative. The UV rays given by salons are just as
dangerous as those from the sun, and it takes much less time. I
saw in one site that the salon protects you with a sheet of plexiglass,
but I would have to personally visit a tanning salon to confirm.
If you know more or have experience, drop me an email.
Q: What is the speed of light in MPH?
A: 671100000 MPH
Q: What does the "X" stand for in X-rays?
A: Found at FAQ-Harvard,
the X in X-ray is a symbol for the unknown nature of the radiation when
it was discovered.
Q: What is silicone made of?
A: I was incomplete in saying that this was just a plastic.
In fact, silicone is a synthetic polymer consisting of silicon and
oxygen. A link to
the differences between silicon, silicon, and silicone.