Definitions and ExplanationsDensity is one of the fundamental principles of physics. Density is the reason why a plank of wood floats on water while a piece of metal several times smaller will sink. It is also the reason why water flows much faster than mercury. There are many other areas where density is applicable and evidenced. Now [...]
Most people have an understanding of what science has helped mankind achieve, we all know that science has had an impact on every facet of human life. Through science we have understood and been able to make better use of the world and its resources. However not many can competently describe what science is. Science [...]
In the recent past there have been a number of high level meeting called to address the impacts of human activity on the environment. The most serious of these impacts is global warming. Over the years man has engaged in activities that have led to the depletion of the ozone layer and a high concentration [...]
If you needed to describe matter in one word, that word would be substance. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. As long as there is no vacuum there is matter present. It exists in three main forms which are solid, liquid and gas with unique characteristics in each form. Matter in [...]
Understand the Seven Attributes of Mass When you talk about matter mass will always be a part of the subject. What is mass? In simple terms mass is the amount of matter contained in a particle or an object. Generally, mass is always mistaken to be the same as weight. Actually, they are different for [...]
It was one of the biggest scientific discoveries of 1869 when a Swiss scientist, Friedrich Miescher found the microscopic substance in pus on discarded bandages. For many years this great discovery, DNA was of little or no significance to anyone outside a laboratory producing only occasional stirs which were mostly appreciated among those in the [...]
Energy can simply be described as the capacity or ability to cause physical change. It is a requirement to achieving anything physically. It does not occur in tangible state but is more of a condition possessed by naturally occurring elements. Energy is measured in joules or ergs and occurs in various forms. A fundamental rule [...]
What is Plasma? Plasma is state of matter usually referred to as the fourth state of matter (the other three conventional ones being solid, liquid and gas). Of the three phases of matter, plasma is closest in state to gas, only its electrons float freely in the plasma, separate from its nucleons. It is because [...]
What is Velocity? If you have been to a physics class you may already know the answer to the question, what is velocity? There are however those who may have been away when this topic was introduced to the class as well as some who may have forgotten the lesson. For the benefit of all [...]
What is Diversity? In which ever context the word diversity is used, it basically means having elements that have a range of visible and invisible differences. These elements could be people, investments, areas, species and many other groupings that have variety. Diversity if appreciated can result in great achievement as all parties have a unique [...]
What is Yeast? Yeast is a general term that refers to over 1500 species of micro organisms that belong to the fungi kingdom. Most yeast is single celled and reproduces asexually through budding or in some cases through binary fusion. Yeast reproduces very quickly and under the right conditions can go from a single cell [...]
What is Geography? It is not yet clearly defined as an art or science so most scholars prefer to consider it as a combination of both disciplines. Geography is a study that seeks to understand the earth, its features, natural occurrences, natural resources, the environment and the human aspect in all of these. It is [...]
What is Physics? Physics covers a wide range of scientific study and is a complex subject. However, to define the subject – Physics is the scientific method of understanding matter and energy and how they interact with each other. Physics can be considered as the most fundamental of natural sciences. Is there really a need [...]
What is Ecology? – An Introduction Ecology came from the words eco, which means “house” and logy, which means, “study of”. Ecology is defined as a scientific study of living organisms and their relation with each other and their environment. A German scientist named Ernst Haeckel coined the word ecology. Haeckel is not just a [...]
What is Kinetic Energy? Kinetic energy is known as the energy in motion. It enables an object to do work in a scientific sense. Applying a force to an object across a distance is an example of work or energy in motion. Pushing your mouse on your computer table means you are applying kinetic energy. [...]
What is Mono? – The Kissing Disease Mono is an infectious disease, which is a short term for mononucleosis. Mono is also popular in its other name the “kissing disease”. Although it is called a kissing disease, mono is not only transmitted by kissing. The disease is caused by Epstein – Barr virus (EBV), a [...]
What is Osmosis? Osmosis is the process of transference of a fluid with low solute concentration to an area with high solute concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. Osmosis aims to equalize the concentrations of solute on both sides of the semi-permeable membrane. Once this state is reached, the end fluids are then described as “isotonic”. [...]
What is Hurricane? A hurricane, also called a tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center. This spiral mass of clouds originate from warm waters near the equator and gradually gather force as it moves. It moves at a speed of at least 74 miles per second or 119 km per [...]
What is Composting? The process of composting is the breaking down of organic wastes by adding it to soil and letting it sit for at least a year. Composting can be as easy as just digging then dumping organic waste and covering it with soil then letting it sit. But there is also a multi-step [...]
What is Aquarium Salt? Aquarium salt is a type of salt used for the treatment of fresh aquarium water, serving a tonic for the fish. Adding aquarium salt to fresh water is supposed to treat certain fish conditions and kill bacteria and parasites who do not tolerate a salty environment. The salt in the water [...]
Evolution (or the theory of evolution by natural selection) is a scientific theory which states that all living beings in the world are related and are sprung from a common ancestor. The concept of evolution was first proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace in the 1859 book “The Origin of Species”. In the [...]
Geography is the study of the Earth, its physical properties, its orientation, places, landscape, environment and people. The term “geography” was first used by Greek scholar Eratosthenes at around 200 BC. Eratosthenes, known as the father of geography, was also the first to study the Earth in the geographic sense as we know it today. [...]
What is Zinc? Zinc is a metallic element, with a periodic table of elements symbol Zn and an atomic number of 30. Zinc is also commonly known as spelter. It is widely believed that Zinc was first named by the alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) after the Geman word Zinke, meaning “sharp or jagged edge”. However, the [...]
Most people will have come across the term volume and most of them relate it to the level of audio output. Though this may be the more common meaning and use of the term in everyday speech, there are other meanings to the word. The meaning of the term is unique in mathematics, IT, publication [...]
What is Polar Amplification? Polar amplification is a climate term which means that climate change is happening faster and is more pronounced in the North Pole or the Arctic faster than anywhere else in the world. Polar amplification is caused by a number of things, and it only applies to the North Pole because the [...]
What is Antiscalant? Antiscalant is an additive injected in water before subjecting it to reverse osmosis. An antiscalant, as the name suggests, serves to delay the scaling of salts and particles such as calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate and barium sulfate. Scaling simply means the accumulation of the salt and particles on the membrane used in [...]
What is Toroidal Vortex? Toroidal Vortex, or more commonly known as vortex ring, is a vortex made from rotating fluid that is moving through the same medium. Toroidal refers to the doughnut shape that is characteristic of this type of vortex. This is formed when a spherical body of fluid moves through a stationary medium, [...]
What is Water Density? Water density is the mass of water per unit of volume. It is important to note that water does not have a fixed density because water density is dependent on the water temperature. Water is unusual in the way that it has a negative thermal expansion. While other substances in its [...]
What is Four Stroke Engine? A four stroke engine is a type of internal combustion engine used to power motor vehicles. Most automobiles in the world today used the four stroke engine. Four stroke refers to the number of steps the engine takes in order to create energy. These four steps are namely: Intake – [...]
What is Elastic Deformation? Elastic deformation is a physics term referring to the process an object undergoes where it retains it shape after deformation once pressure is removed. Sometimes also referred to as reversible deformation, linear elastic deformation (linear relationship between stress and strain) is governed by Hooke’s law of elasticity, which states that a [...]
What is Mistletoe? Mistletoe (viscum album, phoradendron serotinum, phoradendrum flavescens, etc) is a semi-parasitic plant that grows on tree and shrub branches. Mistletoes have small, oval, waxy green leaves that grow in pairs along the stem, and this plant can stay green even in winter. Mistletoes grow berries which are white, waxy and pearl like. [...]
There are some things that are and have through out the history of man been considered universal truths. No matter which part of the world you go to and regardless of the generation that is examined, these ideologies have always been true. Just like the law of gravity which is a force that we all [...]
What is Zoology? Zoology is the branch of biology which focuses on the study of characteristics of animals and their habitat. Zoology emerged as a scientific discipline in the 19th century although study of animals started long back. It deals with both living and extinct organisms. Zoology is derived from the Greek word Zoon (Animal) [...]
What Is Earth Science? Earth Science is the study of our planet and our neighbors in space. Knowledge of the earth is important as it may lead to discoveries of new energy sources. It may also help predict weather and climate patterns that affect the entire planet. Many branches of science are used to study [...]
What is Amber? Amber is usually mistaken as tree sap that had hardened. However, the truth is that amber is a plant resin that oozes and drips down trees. In simple terms, amber is a fossilized plant resin. Oftentimes, you can find amber in tree crevices trapping seeds, leaves, insects and etc. Organic compounds, when [...]
What is Diffraction? Diffraction has something to do with all types of waves. The man responsible for coining the term diffraction is Francesco Maria Grimaldi. Diffraction is derived from the Latin word diffringere, which means to break into pieces. At first, it was referred to lights hitting an obstacle and breaking up into different directions. [...]
What is Digestion? Living things, especially the mammals need to eat in order to survive. To get the nutrients from the food, a process called digestion must take place. Digestion is both a mechanical and chemical process of breaking down foods. The body needs to break down foods into smaller components so that the body [...]
What is Kinesiology? Kinesiology is the same as human kinetics, which means the scientific study of human movement. The word is derived from the Greek word kinesis, which means movement and kinein that means to move. Kinesiology is a regulated health profession in Canada. Kinesiology focuses on every aspect of human movements. Physiological, mechanical and [...]
What is Scientific Method? – An Introduction Scientists use scientific method as way or process of constructing a precise representation of the world, which is reliable, non- subjective and consistent. Scientific method is used by scientist to develop a theory. Scientific method minimizes the influences of human’s personal and cultural beliefs thus preventing errors in [...]
What is Diffusion? There are many scientific concepts that we cannot readily relate to because they rarely cross our paths in everyday activity. Actually witnessing them will almost always require putting on a lab coat and going through an intricate process which might eventually not give the desired results. This however is far from the [...]
What is Homeostasis? Nature is perfection. Without any external influences such as those that man has exerted on nature, all this were meant to work in perfect order, balance and harmony. This is not only true when applying to the external environments. It also applies to internal environments in all naturally occurring things, plants and [...]
What is Natural Selection? There is no doubt that the world has changed ever since it came into being. Whether it came from by creation or through the other theories that are advanced, the world is definitely a very different place from its first day of existence. There have been millions of different species that [...]
What is Borax? Borax is a term used to describe any boron compound like sodium borate. It is the English translation of the Persian word “burak”. Borax is a natural mineral compound and today, it exists within every home as an ingredient in many of our household materials. Borax is used in the mass production [...]
What is BPA? BPA, the abbreviated name for Bisphenol A, is an industrial chemical used to produce epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. The primary use of BPA is for the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics that most companies use to enclose consumable goods. Examples of these type of goods include plastic containers like baby bottles, beverage [...]
What is Diceous? Diceous is a commonly misspelled word for the term dioecious, a term in botany. Dioecious describes a plant that has only one reproductive organ, either a male flower or a female flower. This means that dioecious plants need a partner plant with the opposite gamete producing flower in order to bear fruit. [...]
What is Ivory? Technically speaking, ivory can be found in any animals that have teeth, because ivory is composed of dentine which is a substance found in teeth. Actually, dentine is one of the four major components of a human tooth. Ivory however, is commonly used to denote the tusks derived from large animals like [...]
What is MHz? MHz is the shorthand term for megahertz. A hertz is a unit of measurement that applies to frequency, pertaining to the number of cycles per second. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second. The term hertz is named after Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist who made significant contributions in the [...]
What is Molecular Pathology? Molecular pathology is a sub-branch in the biomedical field which involves analyzing diseases in the molecular level. It involves studying the development and evolution of diseases, for practical application in the medical field and more specifically for improving treatment options for disease stricken patients. Molecular pathology studies the sub-microscopic aspects of [...]
What is Monoceous? Monoceous is a commonly misspelled word for Monoicous or monoecious, a term that describes a plant’s reproductive organ in botany. Monoicous refers to a plant that has both sperm producing and egg producing reproductive organs, which means that it can reproduce by itself without the need for a partner plant. This attribute [...]
What is Qualitative Data? Qualitative data is information gathered from a study that is descriptive and not based on numbers. This data is then not measurable, but rather illustrative in nature. An example of this would be gender (male or female), sexuality (heterosexual, homosexual), race (Caucasian, Asian, African). Qualitative data can also be based on [...]
What is Dielectric Constant? Dielectric constant is a measure or ratio of permittivity of a given dielectric substance to the permittivity of space. Permittivity pertains to the resistance or ability of a specific material to be polarized when forming an electric field. In physics, when the dielectric constant increases, electric flux density also increases. If [...]
What is Dill? Dill is a plant native to the southern parts of Russia, the Mediterranean, and western parts of Africa. Its leaves and seeds are used as food seasoning and are known to have medicinal properties. The word “dill” comes from “dilla”, an Old Norse word which means “to lull”. Scientifically know as “Anethum [...]
What is Displacement? In physics, displacement is defined as a change in position. It is the measurement from Position A to Position B. It is a vector, meaning it has direction. One may misinterpret and believe that displacement and distance are the same, but they are not. Distance is simply the measurement from Point A [...]
What is Displacement? In physics, displacement is defined as a change in position. It is the measurement from Position A to Position B. It is a vector, meaning it has direction. One may misinterpret and believe that displacement and distance are the same, but they are not. Distance is simply the measurement from Point A [...]
What is Quantum Physics? The early 20th century was the time when the study of quantum physics made an impact for further development. Scientists made a discovery that laws governing the macroscopic objects do not operate in smaller microscopic levels in the same manner. To define quantum physics, one must understand the behavior of both [...]
What is Crystalline? Crystalline is a way to describe the appearance or properties of matter, where it resembles crystal whether in structure or transparency or both. Crystalline can also describe an object that is composed of crystals. A crystal is a solid matter which is comprised of molecules, atoms or ions that take on an [...]
What is Anthropology? Anthropology is the study of human beings in terms of origin, physical, development, behavior, and social development. It aims to answer questions on how humans evolved from primitive species. It deals with how the people of the past lived and interacted with each other. It also seeks to understand human behavior and [...]
What is Gas? Gas is one of three states of matter, with the other two being solid and liquid. According to the Kinetic Molecular Theory, gases consist of molecules with negligible sizes when compared with the distance between each of them. And since the molecules are so small, attraction or repulsion forces are also negligible [...]
What is Agonist Affinity? It is very likely that you have never before come across the term agonist affinity. Unless you work or study in the field of biochemistry, you are unlikely to have used or even heard of this term. In order to understand what agonist affinity is all about, we will first have [...]
What is Displacement? This is one of the terms with several meanings depending on where it is used or applied. Displacement as used in chemistry, fluid mechanics, psychology, psychiatry, mechanical engineering as well as a number of other different fields has various meanings. Most of these meanings relate to some sort of movement. Examples of [...]
What is HDPE? HDPE stands for high density polyurethane, a plastic product that is made from petroleum. Currently, about 4% of petroleum is used for the production of plastics. As an example of its production volume, in 2007 the global production of HDPE reached 30 million tons. HDPE is one of the most commonly used [...]
What is Gravity? A force that creates attraction between objects is gravity. Almost everyone is accustomed to what gravity is. Ask an individual about gravity and he or she will probably answer you that gravity is something that keeps our feet on the ground. Someone might give an answer of the popular saying “what goes [...]
What is Hypothesis? Hypothesis is used in scientific experiments. It is a rationalization for an event, which can be investigated in various ways that may ultimately disprove or proves itself. During the course of performing the experimentation, the hypothesis is deemed to be true. The main goal of the one performing the research is that [...]
What is Distillation? Distillation is a process that has been used by humankind for thousands of years ago. It was believed to be first used by the Arab chemists to separate perfume. Today, distillation plays a significant role in the organic chemistry. Chemists can identify and purify organic compounds using the distillation method. How is [...]
What is Urea? Carbamide or more commonly known as urea is an organic chemical compound. This organic chemical compound is the waste product of the body when protein is metabolized. The liver is the organ responsible for breaking down proteins and amino acids to produce urea. Mammals, amphibians and some other fish have the ability [...]
What is pH? pH is a term in chemistry that is used as a unit of measurement for the acidity or basicity of solutions. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 as the most acidic and 14 as the most basic. A pH of 7 means the solution is neutral. Examples of [...]
Chemistry is a physical science dealing with the composition of matter and how they react to one another. It is said to have been a true science around the 1600s, when the pioneering chemists began the study of the most basic structure of matter, such as elements and compounds. Chemistry is inextricably linked to physics, [...]
What is gel electrophoresis? Gel Electrophoresis is a technique for separation of molecules like deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA and ribonucleic acid or RNA. The protein molecules are contained in a gel and they are subjected to some form of electric current to cause movement and separation. This technique is said to be helpful in the [...]
What is Desalination? Desalination is a process of removing salt usually involving waters from the sea. But this process can also be done using brackish water and/or waste water for the purpose of producing water suitable for consumption by human beings. Much of the water available in this planet comes from the oceans. Only a [...]
What is the Axilla? The axilla is the junction between the inner part of the upper arm and the shoulder. This part is commonly known as the armpit in which many anatomical structures pass through for support of the upper extremities. The axilla is pyramidal in shape. It has an apex which is directed towards [...]
