Photo Courtesy of Furness Controls
On February 9, in Allentown, PA, a pipeline explosion resulted in the deaths of five people. According to The Republic, although the disaster is still being investigated, new guidelines are already being put in place to help ensure this doesn’t happen again. The new guidelines include increasing the monitoring of pipes, especially during the winter when freezing and cracking are more at a high risk. Hopefully this will prevent future disasters Continue reading
My family has two cats, one black and one calico. Between the two enough hair seems to be shed for my mom to feel the need to vacuum at least every other day, if not every day. How she would handle living with one of her good friends who rescues cats and once had seventeen at one time… actually I’m almost positive she couldn’t. Given, these cats spent most of the time out doors, when they came in during winter months I can’t imagine Continue reading
Ultrasound is a sound that is greater than the upper limit frequency that humans are able to hear. The normal sound level limit for humans is 20,000 Hz, this applying to the average healthy, young adult. Ultrasound is used to detect a baby’s heartbeat inside its mother, helps animals hunt and can be used in chemistry experiments. A variety of animals are able to make use of this process including bats, dolphins, and Continue reading
Refrigerators are rarely regarded as a bad thing. Even more rarely do people discuss them as dangerous, aside from the possibility of it falling on someone’s foot when first being moved in. We use them constantly, pulling food out of them numerous times a day. Many refrigerate items that don’t even need to be refrigerated to keep them fresh longer, like bread and fruit. To keep refrigerators cool, chemicals called refrigerants are employed. These chemicals are not only used in refrigerators, they can also be found in automobiles, airplanes, air conditioners and other coolant appliances. Yet, despite the many benefits, the chemicals used to keep these items cool can be very dangerous. The chemicals Continue reading
Odorless, tasteless and invisible, methane gas is not something you want to mess with. Without warning it can lead to fires, explosions, illness or even death. Left unprotected, many people don’t know of its presence and the potential harm it can inflict until it is too late. To prevent these serious conditions from occurring, simple steps can be Continue reading
When you are a little kid, helium was the invisible stuff in balloons that made it float, and was able to make your voice sound funny when you inhaled it. For my nieces and nephews, it is still one of the coolest things in the world. Then, as you grow into a teenager, helium is the second element on one of the longest lists you had to memorize, known as the periodic table. It no longer has the charm it once had, but it still manages to be interesting. Helium is the second lightest element, with a symbol of He, helium is Continue reading
Ready for a chemistry refresher? Today we are discussing halogens. Halogens are a series of elements from the periodic table including fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I) and astatine (At). These elements are used in a number of different ways. Bromine and chlorine are commonly used to sterilize water, be it pools or drinking water. Iodine is used in medicine and to maintain a healthy diet. Astatine is a rare halogen Continue reading
Flue gases are emitted into the world regularly. Living in Michigan, our fireplace is constantly burning in the winter months. Flue gases are able to escape with every fire burned, along with every drive to work in the car each morning. In addition to these there are industry stacks that contribute massive amounts of flue emissions. Flue gases emitted include nitrogen, carbon dioxide, particulates, oxygen, water vapor, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. Some of these gases can be harsh on the environment and hazardous to human health. For these reason regulations and strict Continue reading
From the late 1920’s to the late 1970’s, Freon was the primary chemical used in a variety of products including refrigerators, freezers, cooling systems, air conditioners, firefighting systems, industrial metal cleaners and as an aerosol propellant. It replaced other chemicals such as ammonia which had been used before, but were harmful to humans when leaks occurred. Freon substances were once considered to be safe because they are not toxic, flammable, corrosive or reactive. This lead Freon to be very popular in the manufacturing world, and it wasn’t until many years later that scientists began to see Continue reading