Dichotomy’s non-random science questions.

[dichotomy]

Hello.

 

Q1. How far and fast can a neutrino travel?

 

Q2. How do we know if neutrinos come from our sun, when neutrinos can pass through all known matter? Could they be coming from another star instead?

 

cheers.

[insane_alien]

1/ very close to the speed of light. same as all matter

 

2/ they do interact very rarely. we also get directions of travel when we detect them. it would appear that there is a very strong source in the direction of our sun regardless of the time of year. either there is an unknow neutrino source on the lagrangian or the sun produces neutrinos through the mechanisms of nuclear fusion. we have detected neutrons from other source but due to the distances these are not as intense.

[dichotomy]

Q3. Does a rain drop get heavier,lighter, or remain constant in weight as it falls from a cloud?

[insane_alien]

Q3.1 factoring in evapouration/condensation or ignoring it?

 

Q3.2 factoring in the changing gravitaional field or assuming constant?

[dichotomy]

Q3.1 factoring in evapouration/condensation or ignoring it?

 

Q3.2 factoring in the changing gravitaional field or assuming constant?

 

 

It sound like if these variables are factored in the rain drop will fluctuate and be close to impossible to accurately measure during its fall to earth, yes?

 

So lets consider the rain drop without those variables.

 

Initially I was thinking that the drop would collect particles during its decent, making it heavier just before hitting ground level.

 

Bloody hydrodynamics!!!

 

cheers.

[insane_alien]

well, we can factor them in kind of easily if we keep it general.

 

in the cloud it will gain weight by condensation and collisions with other droplets after it has left the cloud, it starts evapourating. so it then loses weight. and the difference in gravitational field strength only makes a marginal difference. i was hungover and being a bit of a asshole there.

[dichotomy]

Q4. Does the rain drop have any chance of gaining weight during high humidity? Or is its only chance of weight gain through collision and integration with another droplet?

(I was thinking tropical rain).

 

I could not detect any hangover aggro'. They seemed perfectly reasonable questions/clarifications.

[insane_alien]

huh, oh well. they were written angrily anyway.

 

yes, humidity will increas condensation on the droplet makeing it bigger. this is one of the primary ways it gains mass especially in the initial stages of formation where vapour condenses on specks of dust and other stuff in the air.

[dichotomy]

Q5. Does a rainbow's prismatic light have any special qualities or uses besides just looking amazing? (I'm thinking like the uses that light like infra red, UV a,b,c, laser, have uses and obvious effects).

 

If you want to learn angry writing, you may need to read some death metal lyrics of something.

[insane_alien]

they just look pretty. the look prettier when you look at them even more broad spectum than our eyes can see. the spectrum continues a bit more either way. has no more special qualities than a prism made of plastic or glass in a lab. though its transmittence is less.

[dichotomy]

Q6. Is the solidity of objects an illusion? Is solidity really just varying densities of matter? That is, tightly packed atoms (iron anvil) and loosely packed atoms (water)?

 

the look prettier when you look at them even more broad spectum than our eyes can see.

 

Can this be done with simple stuff bought from a standard retailer/hardware store/art&craft shop? a type of film perhaps?

[swansont]

Q6. Is the solidity of objects an illusion? Is solidity really just varying densities of matter? That is, tightly packed atoms (iron anvil) and loosely packed atoms (water)?

 

"Solidity" is not a matter of tightly packed vs loosely packed; your mention of water is a case in point. The common form of ice is less dense than water. So the answer is "no."

 

That said, atoms are mostly empty space.

[insane_alien]

Q6. Is the solidity of objects an illusion? Is solidity really just varying densities of matter? That is, tightly packed atoms (iron anvil) and loosely packed atoms (water)?

 

to expand on swansonts post and get a bit more technical, the phases of matter are all to do with the way the molecules/atoms are bonded. in a solid, the bonds are quite strong compared to the motion of the atoms/molecules due to het so they are not free to move around. density doesn't really comeinto it as we have made an aerogel that is lighter than air and can hold up a brick. then theirs osmium/iridium densest solid (non degenerate) matter we know of.

liquids have slightly weaker bonds so the can move about freely but they are still very closely packed nearly as much as the solid(usually) since they are free to move about and flow, you can put your hand into them and through them.

gases have very very weak bonding and the atoms are spaced out this causes them to flow easier than liquids and the fact of the increased separation means that they are less dense than most other materials/phases.

 

Can this be done with simple stuff bought from a standard retailer/hardware store/art&craft shop? a type of film perhaps?

 

if you remove the IR filter on a standard digital camera you should be able to see into the near infrared spectrum though it will appear blue. look up IR/UV photography. i also don't think that the stuff can be bought in a normal shop, you might need to go to a speialist shop.

[dichotomy]

Q7. There is Waterjet Cutting Technology that is very successful at cutting many hard substances. Can Pressurized gas be used in a similar way?

 

Insane Alien's info regarding 'weak bonding' of atoms in water and gas got me thinking this.

Q8. Are most substances with weak atom bondings, in theory, useful for pressurised cutting as Waterjets are?

[insane_alien]

7/ it's possible but the pressures and velocities would be prohibitive and extremely expensive. water is good at this because it is also dense and will stick together and not fan out like air would. a similar method is used in plasma cutting. this works because it vapourises the material but is essentially firing a hot gas at the substance being cut. this wouldn't happen with just ordinary gas.

 

8/not really no. its not the strength of the bonds that matters, its the extreme pressure it can deliver to a very very small area. like if you made a hole in paper by pushing your finger throug it, it's a relatively low pressure and the hole wil be messy but if you shoot a bullet through it you'll get a nce clean hole because the pressure is so much greater and in a smaller area.

[dichotomy]

Q9. How many different types of matter and energy is the human body made up of?

 

I’m thinking crystals, minerals, vitamins, electricity, acid, proteins, etc)

 

(I’m not sure if this is practical to quantify? I may need to rephrase this one)

[swansont]

Q9. How many different types of matter and energy is the human body made up of?

 

I’m thinking crystals, minerals, vitamins, electricity, acid, proteins, etc)

 

(I’m not sure if this is practical to quantify? I may need to rephrase this one)

 

Those aren't different types of matter or energy, from a physics standpoint.

[insane_alien]

Q9. How many different types of matter and energy is the human body made up of?

 

I’m thinking crystals, minerals, vitamins, electricity, acid, proteins, etc)

 

(I’m not sure if this is practical to quantify? I may need to rephrase this one)

 

yep your going to need to rephrase this one. crystals minerals etc etc. are not actually types of matter. they are formations of matter but not a distinct type.

for example, Carbon can be in crystals(diamond), minerals(limestone), vitamins(ascorbic acid), acid(carbonic acid), and it's in every protein known to science.

 

for types of matter you could look at the fundamental particles(quarks, electrons, neutrinos etc.) and for types of energy, there are lists on wikipedia but they all tend to have a lot of overlap. and as swansont said, they all sort of blend into one another in physics.

[dichotomy]

Ok, what about –

 

Q10. How many distinct substances contained within the cosmos make up the human body, and what the human body relies on for survival?

 

Q11. How many chemical elements, from the periodic table of chemical elements, does the human body contain and require for average survival.

 

Those aren't different types of matter or energy, from a physics standpoint.

 

Q12. So, if they aren't different types of matter and energy, what are they? (Simply matter and energy, I assume?)

[swansont]

Q12. So, if they aren't different types of matter and energy, what are they? (Simply matter and energy, I assume?)

 

As i_a said, they are different arrangements of matter, but the building blocks — the types — are baryons (protons and neutrons) and leptons (electrons). They are arranges into different atoms, and those atoms into different molecules, and those molecules into larger things (you keep dividing and naming the categories as the scale gets larger)

[dichotomy]

they are different arrangements of matter, but the building blocks — the types — are baryons (protons and neutrons) and leptons (electrons). They are arranges into different atoms, and those atoms into different molecules, and those molecules into larger things (you keep dividing and naming the categories as the scale gets larger)

 

This makes sense. Thanks.

[dichotomy]

Ok, so questions 10 and 11 seem to need more data in order to provide an adequate answer.

 

Q13. Do stars need oxygen to ‘burn’ as they do? And if so, what is the minimum quantity of oxygen they need in order to ‘burn’? Our sun might be a good example for this.

(I'm amazed that this has only recently entered my mind ).

 

 

Q14. Does electricity need oxygen to function? And if so, what is the minimum quantity of oxygen required for electricity to occur?

 

cheers.

[insane_alien]

13, no it is not a chemical fire but a nuclear fire. it only requires hydrogen.

 

14, no electricity is just the flow of electrons it does not require oxygen.

[dichotomy]

Q15. Can electricity be used in any environment within the known cosmos? (this doesn't mean it has to be safely used. )

[insane_alien]

if there are charged particles(usually electrons) that are on the move then there is electricity.