NB – if you have posted comments, I often include follow up questions in my replies so do check back and read my responses. A standard wine bottle holds 750 ml (cm3) of liquid. That is ¾ of a litre, sometimes called 75 cl. We almost always use units derived from the litre to measure …
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Respiration…
I often refer to respiration as the most important chemical reaction on the planet (arguable!). Encyclopaedia Britannica defines cellular respiration as… the process by which organisms combine oxygen with foodstuff molecules, diverting the chemical energy in these substances into life-sustaining processes and discarding, as waste products, carbon dioxide and water The Oxford English Dictionary divides …
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Gaspar…
This is part of a Christmas themed trio of posts titled after the three wise men of nativity fame (Gaspar, Balthazar & Melchior). As an aside, how do we know there were three? There were three gifts (I have written about them too!) but the bible makes no mention of how many wise men/kings/magi there …
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It’s A Gas…
There are three common states of matter; solid, liquid and gas. This statement ignores other less common states of matter like plasma (very hot) or Bose-Einstein condensate (very cold). Exam questions often ask you to explain events in terms of the behaviour of the particles involved. This is easier if you can picture how particles …
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Myrrh…
Myrrh is, like Frankincense, derived from the sap of a tree; this time from trees of the genus Commiphora, particularly the species Commiphora abyssinica. As you can see from the picture, it is formidably well armed. When a cut is made through the bark and into the sapwood beneath, waxy gum oozes out that can …
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Tautonym…
I like the Latin names of different species. They are normally named with their genus then their species so humans are Homo sapiens (often abbreviated to H. sapiens). The genus is always capitalised and the whole name is in italics. I have always liked it when the genus and species are the same. I think …
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Diffusion…
Diffusion is the random movement of particles from areas of high concentration to areas of lower concentration. This happens because the particles in a liquid, solution or gas are able to move freely. The following video explains it quite nicely with a sugar lump dissolving in water as the example. . I will write about …
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Carbon…
Carbon, as the compound carbon dioxide, gets some bad press for its effects on climate – and so it should! But that is pretty harsh on the element carbon (and the element oxygen for that point). Carbon is the fifteenth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and the fourth most abundant in the Universe. …
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Frankincense…
Twelve years ago the BBC published two stories about the probable disappearance of frankincense – here and here. Frankincense continues to be produced so perhaps concerns about the sustainability of its production were listened to, and suitable action taken. It is a valuable commodity for those involved in its production. Frankincense is the hardened resin …
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Synchrotron…
The Large Hadron Collider is not the only particle accelerator worth talking about. In fact, there is one just 30 minutes south of us. The Diamond Synchrotron uses its electron beams to produce synchrotron light which is about 1 billion times brighter than the sun. The light is produced as synchrotron radiation (wavelengths adjustable between …
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