Electronic-Geek.com » Chemistry http://electronic-geek.com Your Electronic Source Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:03 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 NASA’s MESSENGER begins orbit around Mercury, will start beaming back science early next month http://electronic-geek.com/nasas-messenger-begins-orbit-around-mercury-will-start-beaming-back-science-early-next-month/ http://electronic-geek.com/nasas-messenger-begins-orbit-around-mercury-will-start-beaming-back-science-early-next-month/#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:41:00 +0000 Vlad Savov http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/18/nasas-messenger-begins-orbit-around-mercury-will-start-beaming/ Mercury, the innermost planet of our humble little solar system, is getting itself an orbital friend. The MESSENGER space probe (known as MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging to his nearest and dearest) is concluding a six-year sojourn through the dark void of space with an elliptical orbit around the tiny and otherwise inhospitable planet. Systems are about to get turned on and fully checked next week, before the data-gathering phase kicks off in earnest on April 4th. Science, isn't it beautiful?

NASA's MESSENGER begins orbit around Mercury, will start beaming back science early next month originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  sourceNASA  | Email this | Comments]]> http://electronic-geek.com/nasas-messenger-begins-orbit-around-mercury-will-start-beaming-back-science-early-next-month/feed/ 0 Etch circuit boards with common household chemicals http://electronic-geek.com/etch-circuit-boards-with-common-household-chemicals/ http://electronic-geek.com/etch-circuit-boards-with-common-household-chemicals/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:00:52 +0000 Matt Mets http://blog.makezine.com/?p=88496

Like making circuit boards, but don’t like all of the toxic chemicals that you have to use to do it? You might want to take a look at Stephen Hobley’s directions, then. He’s claiming to be able to etch boards using only diluted hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and a bit of table salt.

He’s got an analysis of the chemical reaction on his site, and mentions that the byproduct is probably toxic, so you should probably be careful about handling and disposing of the stuff.

More:

]]> http://electronic-geek.com/etch-circuit-boards-with-common-household-chemicals/feed/ 0 Bill Hammack vs The Smoke Detector: “Engineering At Its Best” http://electronic-geek.com/bill-hammack-vs-the-smoke-detector-%e2%80%9cengineering-at-its-best%e2%80%9d/ http://electronic-geek.com/bill-hammack-vs-the-smoke-detector-%e2%80%9cengineering-at-its-best%e2%80%9d/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:06:24 +0000 Sean Michael Ragan http://blog.makezine.com/?p=88664

Most of our readers will know that one of the most common types of residential smoke detectors actually contains radioactive material—specifically, an isotope of americium—which is used to ionize air molecules in the detector itself. In this video, the always-engaging Bill Hammack, aka Engineer Guy, explains both the ionizing detector and the circuit that contains it, with particular focus on the MOSFET device which is the other critical component in that circuit (and is, incidentally, the namesake of Phil Torrone’s cat). Characteristic Bill quote: “To me, this is engineering at its best: Simple, reliable, and inexpensive. And saving countless lives.” Thanks, Bill, as always!

]]> http://electronic-geek.com/bill-hammack-vs-the-smoke-detector-%e2%80%9cengineering-at-its-best%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 Toner Transfer Etched Custom Car Audio Panel http://electronic-geek.com/toner-transfer-etched-custom-car-audio-panel/ http://electronic-geek.com/toner-transfer-etched-custom-car-audio-panel/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:02:47 +0000 Sean Michael Ragan http://blog.makezine.com/?p=88642

Great looking results from the very accessible process of toner transfer galvanic etching, by Rab. [via Hacked Gadgets]

]]> http://electronic-geek.com/toner-transfer-etched-custom-car-audio-panel/feed/ 0 The quest for a rechargeable lithium-air battery http://electronic-geek.com/the-quest-for-a-rechargeable-lithium-air-battery/ http://electronic-geek.com/the-quest-for-a-rechargeable-lithium-air-battery/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 22:30:07 +0000 Sean Michael Ragan http://blog.makezine.com/?p=84261 Lithium air prototype cell.
Interesting article from IEEE Spectrum about the potential benefits of developing a usefully rechargeable lithium-oxygen cell (for use, most importantly, in electric cars) and the challenges that remain for that research. So-called "air batteries," in which one of the reacting chemical species is atmospheric oxygen, are already widely employed, for instance, in hearing-aid batteries, which are commonly zinc-air cells with a piece of adhesive film that must be removed before use to allow atmospheric oxygen onto the cathode. The know-how to make lithium-air cells is available right now; the hard part is making the reverse process practical over many recharging cycles. [Thanks, Glen!]

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]]> http://electronic-geek.com/the-quest-for-a-rechargeable-lithium-air-battery/feed/ 0 Love science? Check out The Citizen Science Quarterly http://electronic-geek.com/love-science-check-out-the-citizen-science-quarterly/ http://electronic-geek.com/love-science-check-out-the-citizen-science-quarterly/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:30:59 +0000 Tito Jankowski http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/12/love_science_check_out_the_citizen.html csq1.jpg

Love the articles in MAKE about cool science projects? Wish there was a mag dedicated to just science, stuff like biology, chemistry, physics, art+design, and math? Well the The Citizen Science Quarterly gang are raising money for their first run of 1000 magazines. Check out their Kickstarter video, you can see founder Jacob Schiach mock up a whole first edition by hand!

The Citizen Science Quarterly

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Chemistry | Digg this! ]]> http://electronic-geek.com/love-science-check-out-the-citizen-science-quarterly/feed/ 0 Love science? Check out The Citizen Science Quarterly http://electronic-geek.com/love-science-check-out-the-citizen-science-quarterly-2/ http://electronic-geek.com/love-science-check-out-the-citizen-science-quarterly-2/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:30:59 +0000 Tito Jankowski http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/12/love_science_check_out_the_citizen.html csq1.jpg

Love the articles in MAKE about cool science projects? Wish there was a mag dedicated to just science, stuff like biology, chemistry, physics, art+design, and math? Well the The Citizen Science Quarterly gang are raising money for their first run of 1000 magazines. Check out their Kickstarter video, you can see founder Jacob Schiach mock up a whole first edition by hand!

The Citizen Science Quarterly

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Chemistry | Digg this! ]]> http://electronic-geek.com/love-science-check-out-the-citizen-science-quarterly-2/feed/ 0 Periodic table blasted onto a single human hair using ions, human reportedly wants his hair back http://electronic-geek.com/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-human-reportedly-wants-his-hair-back/ http://electronic-geek.com/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-human-reportedly-wants-his-hair-back/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:08:00 +0000 Laura June http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/28/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-huma/ We've seen the Torah inscribed on a surface the size of a pin, and the atomic pen making inroads into even more impressive feats, but tiny writing never ceases to amaze us. Now, it seems, the entire periodic table of the elements has been scribed onto a single hair -- that of Martyn Poliakoff, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham. The project involved magnifying the hair under an electron microscope, and 'writing' on it with ions using an ion beam writer to imprint the entire table of elements onto the hair. As you'll see in the video after the break, the results are quite impressive albeit very small.

Continue reading Periodic table blasted onto a single human hair using ions, human reportedly wants his hair back

Periodic table blasted onto a single human hair using ions, human reportedly wants his hair back originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNew Scientist  | Email this | Comments]]> http://electronic-geek.com/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-human-reportedly-wants-his-hair-back/feed/ 0 Periodic table blasted onto a single human hair using ions, human reportedly wants his hair back http://electronic-geek.com/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-human-reportedly-wants-his-hair-back/ http://electronic-geek.com/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-human-reportedly-wants-his-hair-back/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:08:00 +0000 Laura June http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/28/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-huma/ We've seen the Torah inscribed on a surface the size of a pin, and the atomic pen making inroads into even more impressive feats, but tiny writing never ceases to amaze us. Now, it seems, the entire periodic table of the elements has been scribed onto a single hair -- that of Martyn Poliakoff, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham. The project involved magnifying the hair under an electron microscope, and 'writing' on it with ions using an ion beam writer to imprint the entire table of elements onto the hair. As you'll see in the video after the break, the results are quite impressive albeit very small.

Continue reading Periodic table blasted onto a single human hair using ions, human reportedly wants his hair back

Periodic table blasted onto a single human hair using ions, human reportedly wants his hair back originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNew Scientist  | Email this | Comments]]> http://electronic-geek.com/periodic-table-blasted-onto-a-single-human-hair-using-ions-human-reportedly-wants-his-hair-back/feed/ 0 What would happen if all the elements were combined at once? http://electronic-geek.com/what-would-happen-if-all-the-elements-were-combined-at-once/ http://electronic-geek.com/what-would-happen-if-all-the-elements-were-combined-at-once/#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:30:00 +0000 Sean Michael Ragan http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/11/what_would_happen_if_all_the_elemen.html Thermite.JPG

OK, so I spruced up the sublimely boring image accompanying this interesting question over at Popular Science with a picture of the thermite reaction. Sorry, but I couldn't find a picture of burning plutonium. C'mon Wikipedia! What's taking so long?

The real answer, it turns out, is something like "at first it would be very exciting, and then it would be very boring." Here's a characteristically droll quote from my old quantum mechanics instructor, John Stanton:

The oxygen gas would react with lithium or sodium and ignite, raising the temperature in the container to the point that all hell would break loose. Powdered graphite carbon would ignite, too. There are roughly 25 radioactive elements, and they would make your flaming stew a little dangerous. Flaming plutonium is a very bad thing.

Of the rather boring low-energy end products, Stanton says:

"Thermodynamics wins again. Things will always achieve equilibrium, and in this case that's a mix of common, stable compounds."

[via Neatorama]

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Chemistry | Digg this! ]]> http://electronic-geek.com/what-would-happen-if-all-the-elements-were-combined-at-once/feed/ 0