Vincent Summers, Author at Quirky Science

17Jan 2014 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Examples of Atoms That are Ionized

Chemistry

[caption id="attachment_15556" align="alignleft" width="440"] H +1, H atom, H -1. Image by Jkwchui CC-by-SA3.0[/caption] Not all atoms are atoms that are ionized. All atoms have a nucleus containing protons and neutrons. That nucleus is surrounded by one or more orbitals that contain electrons. The total charge of a neutral atom equals zero. The number of protons equals the number of electrons. If the number of electrons increases or decreases, an atom is ionized. It is either a cation (positive ion) or an anion (negative ion). Atoms That Are Ionized The same thing can happen to small collections of bonded atoms. By definition, an atom oxidizes to a cation or reduces to an anion. Positively Charged Atoms (Cations) Atoms that are ionized have lost energy and become more stable in so…

14Dec 2013 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Imaginary Space, Imaginary Time?

Physics

[caption id="attachment_5427" align="alignright" width="480"] Square Root of -1[/caption] What do you think? Could there be imaginary space? imaginary time? In the real world, there are many and varied ideas we can comprehend, or at least find conceivable. However, there are concepts beyond our comprehension. This does not automatically make them unreal. One such concept is the imaginary number. Physically, the imaginary number is real. To date, however, no one has satisfactorily explained the phenomenon. Simplest Case The simplest imaginary number is the square root of –1. Does that sound like it should be no problem? Well, the square root of 1 has two values: –1 and 1. That can be proven. 1 x 1 = 1, right? And –1 x –1 = 1, right? Well, what number n is there,…

10Dec 2013 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Should Houses Switch to DC Power?

Technology

[caption id="attachment_5417" align="alignright" width="440"] High Voltage Lines - CCA Share Alike 3.0 Unported by JGkatz[/caption] AC or DC Power? In the late 1800s, electricity as a public utility was available as direct current, or DC. Famous entrepreneur Thomas A. Edison held many DC patents. He desired to continue profiting from them. But that was later threatened—no overturned—by alternating current (AC) electricity. The change has an element of justice about it, as Edison played the power game in unfair and cruel fashion. He publicly used AC to electrocute cats, dogs and other animals, such as horses. He wanted people to believe AC was too dangerous. He failed to mention DC was every bit as dangerous. Edison was a man of few scruples. Alternating or Direct Current Power? Today, many household appliances…

08Dec 2013 by Vincent Summers 5 Comments

Which Weighs More – Wet Air or Dry Air?

Meteorology

[caption id="attachment_5407" align="alignright" width="440"] CCA Share Alike 3.0 Unported by Santhosh kumar[/caption] Air is mostly a mixture of gases and plus water vapor. The primary two gases are nitrogen and oxygen. We will state up front that the traces of other substances in air don’t affect the outcome of whether wet air or dry air is heavier. It all has to do with molecular weights. Nitrogen Nitrogen is a diatomic gas—chemical formula N₂. Its atomic weight is 14, therefore its molecular weight is 28. Nitrogen constitutes 78% of the atmosphere. [caption id="attachment_14807" align="alignright" width="280"] Barometer[/caption] Oxygen Oxygen is also a diatomic gas—chemical formula O₂. Its atomic weight is 16, therefore its molecular weight is 32. Oxygen constitutes 21% of the atmosphere. Dry Air Again, not considering the traces of other…

28Nov 2013 by Vincent Summers 10 Comments

Scott Castle – Royal Orchard – Afton VA

History

[caption id="attachment_5381" align="alignright" width="380"] Suit of Armor - CCA SA 3.0 Unported by Anthonyjonker23[/caption] It was about November 1981 when I came from New Jersey to live in Charlottesville, Virginia. I was driving in a Volkswagen Beetle with a couple of friends, who told me a tale concerning the Scott Family. They informed me the famous paper towel Scotts purchased a sizable chunk of land in Albemarle County. On the land they had built a castle - Scott Castle. In addition, there was a family airstrip. Tragically, one took his own life, suffocating himself with a plastic bag. Relating the “Facts” Then, today, in November 2013, I was in a van with 5 friends when I recollected the story, now a twice-told tale. With conviction, I related the events spoken…

26Nov 2013 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Einstein and the Goldfish Bowl

Logic

Einstein and the Goldfish Bowl By Ellen Hetland Fenwick I absorbed Einstein physics very well. I understood the changes. He made significant use of Riemann geometry, in which there are an infinite number of parallel lines through a given point. The geometry is part of the mother’s milk of mathematicians. The equations were relatively simple. I was comfortable and a believer. There's Always a String Attached When string theory came along, I pondered for a while about whether it was worth the time to study it. Mostly it was theory with no data to verify its conjectures. And, of course, there were several string theories to choose from. I said, “Let’s wait until they agree and have some evidence to support the theory”. Meanwhile people adept at Physics are, I…

26Nov 2013 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Carbon Monoxide is More Dangerous than Carbon Dioxide

Health

[caption id="attachment_5355" align="alignright" width="440"] Carboxyhemoglobin - CCA SA 3.0 Unported by Rifleman 82[/caption] Human and animal life requires an exchange of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). If the atmosphere contains more than a minimum of carbon monoxide (CO), life is at risk. Why? Consider the properties that distinguish carbon dioxide from the monoxide. Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide contains two atoms of oxygen bonded to one atom of carbon. The structure is written O=C=O. The length of its double bonds is 116.3 picometers. Bonding is covalent, not ionic. Water solubility at 250C is 1.45 g/l. Carbon Monoxide Carbon monoxide is written simply C≡O. The triple bond is 112.8 picometers. It consists of two polar covalent bonds plus a coordinate covalent bond. Its dissociation energy is 1072 kilojoules per mole. Water…

11Nov 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Acid Base Proton Transfer

Chemistry

[caption id="attachment_20220" align="alignright" width="440"] Acetic acid dissociation[/caption] The concepts contained in this article sound complex: acid base proton transfer. But they are a lot simpler than they sound. If a hydrogen atom Hº is ionized by stripping off its one electron, what remains is a proton. This small positive particle, symbol H⁺, is the heart of acid base proton transfer reactions. But That's Too Simple In water, the H⁺ ion does not exist as a naked proton. Rather, it is united with a molecule of water in the form of a stabilized hydronium ion (H₃O⁺). So in aqueous solutions, hydronium ions are the proton donors. Acid Base Proton Transfer Proton transfer acceptors, rather than being proton poor, are electron rich. Still, since acids are proton donors, it logically follows that…

04Nov 2013 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

The Bee, Fibonacci, and Genealogy

Mathematics

The Bee, Fibonacci and Genealogy -By Ellen Hetland Fenwick. Bees are strange creatures. There are three “sexes” of bees... Drone: Male born of a Queen. No male parent. Not sterile. Queen: Female born of a Queen & a Drone. Fed Royal Jelly. Not Sterile. Worker: Female born of a Queen & a Drone. Not fed Royal Jelly. Sterile. This makes for a most unusual genealogy. Let’s examine the first six generations. Gen 0: Our Male: Drone Gen 1: His parent: Queen Gen 2: Her Parents: Queen, Drone Gen 3: Their parents: Queen, Drone, Queen Gen 4: Their parents: Queen, Drone, Queen, Queen, Drone Gen 5: Their Parents: Queen, Drone, Queen, Queen, Drone, Queen, Drone, Queen The total number of individuals in our male bee’s line for each generation is shown below: But…

04Nov 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Point Loma, California – 1997

Genealogy

[caption id="attachment_5196" align="alignright" width="380"] Point Loma, California[/caption] Editor's preface: Author Ellen Hetland Fenwick sprinkled the ashes of her deceased husband in the waters of the Pacific, at Point Loma, California. In this memorial, she notes other family members with at least symbolic connection with water, including the death of John Sommers, our joint great-grandfather.- VES I hear that the depths of the Pacific are cold. Never mind. You will not feel the chill. I wish you to see all the finny life as you go around the world with unseeing eyes and without having to bother to breathe. I wish for you to go around the world entombed in the lower fathoms. My oceanographic friend says that rather than this fate, you will swirl around the Pacific lower and lower…