Can we apply the principle behind quantum tunnel (of greatly reduced, but greater than 0 chance of occuring) to chemical systems? | AskScience Blog

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Sunday, June 24, 2018

Can we apply the principle behind quantum tunnel (of greatly reduced, but greater than 0 chance of occuring) to chemical systems?

Can we apply the principle behind quantum tunnel (of greatly reduced, but greater than 0 chance of occuring) to chemical systems?


Can we apply the principle behind quantum tunnel (of greatly reduced, but greater than 0 chance of occuring) to chemical systems?

Posted: 24 Jun 2018 05:39 AM PDT

Hello!

I am wondering whether the idea behind quantum tunneling, that while there is a well defined, high probably set of probabilities that will occur, less probable outcomes are still possible, although exponentionally less so.

What I am thinking as an example is a simple stochiometric mixture of H2 and Cl2 at atmospheric pressure and 20 degrees celsius. In these conditions, for them to react you need a catalyst to reduce the energy barrier for a single reaction to occur, which then initiates a chain reaction that no longer needs a catalyst, due to much lower energy barrier.

By my understanding, for this energy barrier reduction to occur, we use UV light to break up an elemental molecule into free radicals, then pray it collides with an elemental particle rather than another free radical.

However, shouldn't the De Broigle wavelength, already large as it is due to our choice particles, permit for there to be such a high velocity collision of particles that 1, or more free radicals are produced in such a way that they initiate a chain reaction?

submitted by /u/Hoihe
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Why do the cameras inside the ISS have so many dead or stuck pixels?

Posted: 24 Jun 2018 06:38 AM PDT

I have seen a many videos of experiments inside the ISS and all of them had a lot of dead or stuck pixels.
Does zero gravity influence the cameras sensor? If so why isn't the Live Feed affected as well?
Here an example: https://youtu.be/QvTmdIhYnes?t=46m20s

submitted by /u/JonasNeu0908
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What is soil like on the Moon?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 10:19 PM PDT

Is the chemical make up of soil on the moon novel and only found there? Or are there places on earth that have similar or the same soil type?

submitted by /u/LongScience
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Does catnip affect wild felines the same way it affects domestic cats?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 02:48 PM PDT

Because let's be honest, the concept of a stoned lion is fascinating.

submitted by /u/Eroe777
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In people born without an arm, or with only half the arm, does the brain still undergo "handedness" or does it default to the useful limb?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 01:34 PM PDT

What purpose/function do tesla coils serve, other than science fiction movie set design?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 12:54 PM PDT

Would this coliding beam fusion reactor design work?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 11:35 PM PDT

This paper from 1992 describes a colliding beam fusion reactor design colliding boron ion and proton beams:

http://www.iaea.org/inis/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/24/028/24028563.pdf

As all the reactions happen from linear impacts instead of hot plasma confinement it would have no side reactions for truly anuetronic fusion.

Have there been any efforts to make a reactor like this? Before any one mentions the the Tri AlphA or Helion teams although they are colliding accelerators they are still basically creating a hot plasma bubble for fusion instead of linear particle collisions.

Or are there fatal flaws to this idea not immediately apparent in the paper? Colliders under 400kev seem reasonably sized. Will the stronger magnetic fields from the new REBCO/YCBO superconducting tapes make colliders smaller, more powerful or efficient?

submitted by /u/mrmonkeybat
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Are (or were historically) ticks in central Europe target of predation, and if yes, by which animals?

Posted: 24 Jun 2018 07:00 AM PDT

Is there a name for the occasion when words don't look like they're spelt correctly even when they are?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 09:33 AM PDT

Sometimes I type/read words that I know are spelled correctly but look wrong?

Then the more I look at that word, the more it looks misspelled so I say it in my head & it still sounds wrong?

I've been having that happen a lot lately...it's really strange and I wonder if there's a name for it.

Thanks.

submitted by /u/Mattt_MSI
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What is the purpose of creating synthetic elements?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 09:55 PM PDT

Elements such as Californium and Tennessine, what is their purpose?

submitted by /u/JimmyRayIII
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How do lightning bugs trigger their glow?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 06:13 PM PDT

Why is it that there is such dense deposits of things like gold in certain regions of the world but others there isn’t in other places?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 02:09 PM PDT

In a waterfall the water come slowly and fall fast. Why there isn't a big hole between the two?

Posted: 24 Jun 2018 03:50 AM PDT

Sorry if I'm not grammatically correct, I'm French.

Yesterday I was looking at a little waterfall and I could see the acceleration of the water with little bubbles on the surface. It was really slow then, 2m farther, a lot faster along a slope before go on slow and flat again. The level of the little river before and after the slope was constant and mostly the same.

So, how it is possible to keep a constant level of water if it arrive slow and go fast ? It maybe sound like a stupid question, but I wasn't able to find the answer..

submitted by /u/Derslydes
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What can't fish breathe through their gills outside of water?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 07:53 PM PDT

All the answers I've found online have said that it's because they require water to carry the oxygen particles through their gills but I don't understand why that would matter. If they're absorbing the oxygen into their bloodstream through the surface area inside their gills, wouldn't the presence of water molecules have no influence over whatever mechanism allows them to do that? Or does the flowing water allow new oxygen to filter through their gills? In which case, would fish be able to breathe through their gills in high winds?

submitted by /u/Evvan
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Do babies get hungry when they smell food they have never eaten yet?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 09:16 AM PDT

I have a couple of 9 month old twins who have just recently started eating basic stuff. Last night we went to pick up a pizza for dinner. Driving back, with my wife carrying the pizza box on her lap and the twins in the back seat, the amazing smell just filled the car, and I had all sorts of thoughts about what I'd do to the pizza when we got home.

But what about the babies? Would their brains interpret that smell as delicious food if they've never had pizza? I imagine I had the reaction I had because I knew it was a pizza and my brain could do its thing based on that info.

How would that work for the babies?

submitted by /u/DAGJWFAN
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Why does kelp turn light green when burned?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 01:13 PM PDT

What impact does a trade deficit have on the economy of a nation?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 07:16 PM PDT

Let's say I have the country "Nationland." Nationland is a small industrialized country with a GDP of $100 Billion. Nationland has a single neighbor, State Kingdom which it trades with, but has a trade deficit with them to the tune of $10 Billion. What real impact does this have on the economy of Nationland? What if the trade deficit was closer to $50 Billion?

submitted by /u/poptart2nd
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What is the amperage output of an electric catfish?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 07:03 PM PDT

I'm working on a project and I need to know the amperage of the electrical discharge made by an electric catfish. I already know the voltage, between 300 and 400 volts. Been looking on Google and all I can find is the amperage output of an electric eel, ~1A.

submitted by /u/TheYadda
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What makes convex sets special?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 11:21 AM PDT

For example, say I have a simply connected, convex domain, and a simply connected, non convex domain. What difference does this imply, or what properties are lost for the non convex domain? I'm thinking specifically in the context of solving a PDE on the domain, but curious about other applications.

submitted by /u/RealAnalysis_
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Would conjoined twins get tired/sleepy at the same time?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 11:14 AM PDT

Why do washing machines’ and clothing dryers’ lids have different shapes?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 02:08 PM PDT

What is the reason that while the clothing dryers have a flat lid, the washing machines have a lid that is curved inside? Is there any practical reason for that?

submitted by /u/SerKeksalot
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What technologies could be made possible by superconductors?

Posted: 23 Jun 2018 12:28 PM PDT

Every once in a while I hear about advances in superconduction. What is hoped to be achieved by a breakthrough in that field? What kind of technology might be enabled by it? Or is it just about energy efficiency?

submitted by /u/MikeKrombopulos
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