(Chemistry) Why do the orbitals of an atom only hold a certain amount of electrons?

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• (Chemistry) Why do the orbitals of an atom only hold a certain amount of electrons?
• How does physical exercise reduce the risk of getting cancer?
• How does light "slow down" in materials with an index of refraction higher than 1 if light always moves at the speed of light?
• Why do electrical arcs produce their signature buzzing sound?
• Why are position and momentum related by Fourier Transform?
• Has anyone ever pin-pointed the geographic north/south pole, and would it be possible to walk/sail around it in a tiny circle to see a compass needle change continuously?
• What is the most common type of planet ?
• How do astronomers identify gravitational lenses?
• Is it possible for a planet to be hit by another object (e.g. astroid, another planet) and get split in the middle as a result?
• How long would it take the air currents from a butterfly to noticeably alter large-scale weather?
• Theoretically, if lightning were to strike in a sandstorm, could it rain glass?
• How does intelligence work with physical brain size?
• Do animals get cavities?
• If red and violet are on oposite ends of the color spectrum, why does it appear to flow naturally into one another on a color wheel?
• What is the relationship between sex chromosomes and physical sex, in animals that change sex?
• Why do people with asthma's bronchi constrict when performing physical activity?
• What are some forestry management and public policy best practices to minimize the damage caused by wildfires?
• I have a sheet of plastic-like material that is claimed to be polyetherimide. I suspect it may be polycarbonate. How can I check?
• How does the spin of a ball affect its trajectory after bouncing?
• How does calories relate to weight?
• Why do aerosol cans of compressed air get really cold?
• How is it possible for pi bond formation between d-sigma*?

(Chemistry) Why do the orbitals of an atom only hold a certain amount of electrons? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 09:19 PM PDT I tried asking my 8th grade science teacher but she just said because it just is that way. Can someone give me an actual answer? submitted by /u/Astronomytwin [link] [comments]

How does physical exercise reduce the risk of getting cancer? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 12:38 PM PDT submitted by /u/Ratogiro [link] [comments]

How does light "slow down" in materials with an index of refraction higher than 1 if light always moves at the speed of light? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 05:26 PM PDT submitted by /u/jkohler13 [link] [comments]

Why do electrical arcs produce their signature buzzing sound? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 06:34 PM PDT submitted by /u/sacchen [link] [comments]

Why are position and momentum related by Fourier Transform? Posted: 26 Oct 2018 04:41 AM PDT For the context, here is a brief description of my understanding level - I understand De Broglie Theorem and that momentum is inversely proportional to wavelength. I understand the rough idea behind Schrodinger equation I understand Fourier Transform and how Fourier transform can result in the Uncertainity principle. I have formal background in Computer Science, so I am reasonably competent with mathematics and physics but definitely inferior to the level of any good graduate student in Physics. I want to understand why the Heisenberg Uncertainity Principle is true and although, I feel like I am being thick headed or something, I really cannot figure out how we went from momentum is inversely proportional to wavelength to the Uncertainity principle. The most common answer is that it results in position and momentum being linked by Fourier transform, but I fail to make the jump. Does it come from Schrodinger equation or is it more fundamental than that? I would be really thankful if you can add some comments. submitted by /u/QuotheFan [link] [comments]

Has anyone ever pin-pointed the geographic north/south pole, and would it be possible to walk/sail around it in a tiny circle to see a compass needle change continuously? Posted: 26 Oct 2018 03:48 AM PDT Bonus related question; is it known if antarctic explorers have had to adjust for their proximity to the magnetic pole when venturing inland and mapping out the regions? submitted by /u/ElisaKristiansen [link] [comments]

What is the most common type of planet ? Posted: 26 Oct 2018 01:42 AM PDT What is the most common type among the observed planets in the universe ( Rocky, gas giants, other that I don't know about) or are they uniformly found. submitted by /u/Metatonic [link] [comments]

How do astronomers identify gravitational lenses? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 11:21 PM PDT Do they just look for distortions in the galaxies shapes? how do we know then that the distortion is caused by a mass altering space-time in front of the galaxy and not because the galaxy really has that distorted shape? I am asking this because looking at the two lenses in the bullet cluster, I can clearly see the 'small' lens on the right cluster but not so well the bigger one on the left cluster (see this image of the bullet cluster without the typical coloring for reference) ​ edit: of course, I'm not saying that astronomers are making things up and seeing lenses where there is nothing. I'm just curious about what techniques can be used to stablish that in a certain region of space this effect takes place. submitted by /u/juansinmiedo [link] [comments]

Is it possible for a planet to be hit by another object (e.g. astroid, another planet) and get split in the middle as a result? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 10:53 AM PDT If it is possible, what would happen to the planet (say, Earth) besides being cut in half? submitted by /u/TrippinOnCheese [link] [comments]

How long would it take the air currents from a butterfly to noticeably alter large-scale weather? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 02:54 PM PDT I've often heard the phrase "butterfly effect" to imply that a single butterfly could eventually alter the weather. Given that weather is a chaotic system this seems plausible. But how long would it take for the effect to make a noticeable difference? submitted by /u/-Metacelsus- [link] [comments]

Theoretically, if lightning were to strike in a sandstorm, could it rain glass? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 10:02 AM PDT Would lightning cause this much of a change in the sand? submitted by /u/FotzeGotze [link] [comments]

How does intelligence work with physical brain size? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 08:36 AM PDT Context: I am very small; I'm 4' 10.75" and 95 pounds. I'm only 70% of the average size person. Therefore everything is smaller including things like organ size and cranial volume. So that said, why is it I'm equally intelligent as someone who's 6 feet and a healthy 160-180 pounds? If the average human brain is about 3 pounds and mine is closer to 2 pounds then why is my intelligence unchanged? submitted by /u/OldManOaks [link] [comments]

Do animals get cavities? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 01:08 PM PDT submitted by /u/BRENNEJM [link] [comments]

If red and violet are on oposite ends of the color spectrum, why does it appear to flow naturally into one another on a color wheel? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 07:35 AM PDT submitted by /u/proofbox [link] [comments]

What is the relationship between sex chromosomes and physical sex, in animals that change sex? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 10:44 AM PDT Thinking about those fish that change from female to male when they reach a certain weight, or the sea slugs that fight with their penises until one get broken off and it turns female, how does their sex relate to whether they have XX or XY chromosomes? Is the sperm-producing fish genetically male and the egg-producing slug genetically female? submitted by /u/Roxygen1 [link] [comments]

Why do people with asthma's bronchi constrict when performing physical activity? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 08:08 AM PDT During physical activity, it is my understanding that the sympathetic nervous system causes bronchodilation to allow greater uptake of oxygen from the atmosphere. So why is it the opposite in people with sports-induced asthma?? submitted by /u/rolensmash [link] [comments]

What are some forestry management and public policy best practices to minimize the damage caused by wildfires? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 09:55 AM PDT submitted by /u/Brinner [link] [comments]

I have a sheet of plastic-like material that is claimed to be polyetherimide. I suspect it may be polycarbonate. How can I check? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 11:03 AM PDT I recently bought a sheet of material that was claimed to be PEI. As people who are into 3D printing know, PEI (Polyetherimide) is renowned for its qualities as a build surface (namely, it helps prints adhere extremely easily). I bought a smaller sheet of PEI before, from a different company, and that seems to adhere prints extremely well. This new sheet of "PEI", doesn't seem to hold prints well at all. I'd like to try to test if this sheet is actually PEI (and if it is, I would hope not to entirely destroy it, but if it's PC instead, I'm fine with it being destroyed). Given the price paid, I suspect that it is a fake. I'm a hobbyist and thus don't believe I have access to an IR spectrometer, but if there are common ways to get access to one, I'd love to know. Alternatively, are there simpler ways of testing if it is PEI or not? My initial thoughts were melting tests or hardness tests or maybe some kind of chemical reaction, but I'm not sure what exactly to do. Thanks for your help! (P.S. I have removed all protective coverings, so that's not the issue.) submitted by /u/Ronnocerman [link] [comments]

How does the spin of a ball affect its trajectory after bouncing? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 10:59 AM PDT submitted by /u/aguywhopostsonreddit [link] [comments]

How does calories relate to weight? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 10:08 AM PDT Something I've really understood is how calories relate to weight. I've heard you have to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound. Let's say there's a man weighing 200 lbs. He eats a whole Jack's frozen pizza that in total has 1,110 calories and weighs 16.085 ounces, or about one pound. That means he'd weigh roughly 201 lbs after only taking in 1,100 calories, 2,400 short of the 3,500 number. I'm sure there's denser foods out there that have a larger mass, but lower calories. How does calories really tie in with weight? submitted by /u/pizzanarwhal [link] [comments]

Why do aerosol cans of compressed air get really cold? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 09:14 AM PDT I was cleaning out dust on my PC and there was frost on the outside of the container after I set it down. submitted by /u/KommaisonReddit [link] [comments]

How is it possible for pi bond formation between d-sigma*? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 12:41 PM PDT Since sigma* is a spherical orbital how can there be side overlap between the d ( specifically t2g orbital ) ? Also there isn't two signs in sigma* ( i suppose) so no way there would be a formation of pi bond between them . From MO theory for pi bonding in octahedral complexes . submitted by /u/ila1998 [link] [comments]

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Do tall people have larger internal organs? If not, how do their bodies fill the extra space?

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• Do tall people have larger internal organs? If not, how do their bodies fill the extra space?
• AskScience AMA Series: Hi! I am J.R. Skok. I am a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute and a Space entrepreneur. I am working with SETI and NASA to develop future missions to search for life on Mars, AMA!
• If an electron goes around the nucleus in a "probability cloud" and that the electron disappears and reappears in existence, does it mean that the electron appears at infinite positions around the atom or does it just orbit the atom? Also why does the electron not fall into the nucleus?
• Why are tyres so wide?
• What is the speed of heat? What factors can impact it?
• Why do atoms in electron microscope images always look spherical, instead of p- or d-orbital shaped?
• What was Planck's intuition behind the quantization assumption?
• How does the body eliminates fat tissue?
• Why are the planetary orbits always presented as all being in the same plane? Are the 8 planets really all in the same plane? Are other planes of movement around the sun expected?
• Can antiretroviral medicine be used to treat a broad spectrum of sexually transmitted (say HSV or HPV) infections, or is it used specifically to treat HIV?
• Are there any cultures that don't tell their children known fictitious folk tales (Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, etc.)? If so, what are the positive/negative effects?
• What are solar flares called when they're on a different star?
• How would breaking of CPT symmetry collapse QFT and Theory of Relativity?
• How exactly is "turbulence" one of the last unsolved problems in classic physics, and how is it related to the Navier-Stokes equations?
• Have there been any significant changes in political polling methodology since the 2016 election?
• Why does wine taste better when it “breathes”?
• Is someone trying to develop electric airplanes?
• What's the most fundamental way we can define temperature?

Do tall people have larger internal organs? If not, how do their bodies fill the extra space? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 11:59 AM PDT submitted by /u/b1ak3 [link] [comments]

AskScience AMA Series: Hi! I am J.R. Skok. I am a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute and a Space entrepreneur. I am working with SETI and NASA to develop future missions to search for life on Mars, AMA! Posted: 25 Oct 2018 04:00 AM PDT Hi! I am J.R. Skok. I am a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute and a Space entrepreneur. I am working with SETI and NASA to develop future missions to search for life on Mars, map out the minerals and geologic history of that planet while leading expeditions to Mars analogs around the world, including Antarctica, Iceland, Hawaii and more. As a Space Entrepreneur, I founded the company, Made of Mars, to develop the technology and economics needed to build things from the materials we can find on Mars, the Moon and asteroids throughout the solar system and share that journey with you! Proof: https://i.redd.it/vi9rdud0p0t11.jpg I will be on at 10am PT (1 PM ET, 17 UT), AMA! submitted by /u/AskScienceModerator [link] [comments]

If an electron goes around the nucleus in a "probability cloud" and that the electron disappears and reappears in existence, does it mean that the electron appears at infinite positions around the atom or does it just orbit the atom? Also why does the electron not fall into the nucleus? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 03:09 AM PDT submitted by /u/J-100 [link] [comments]

Why are tyres so wide? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 03:32 AM PDT We all know the static friction equation, F≤μ⋅R where μ is the dimensionless Coefficient of Friction and R is the Reaction force of the Asphalt on the tyres. Note how area does not feature. This makes sense because force R spread over a large area would have low pressure. This would cause less friction per area, but as there is more area to have the force, area cancels out exactly. This leads me to my question. Racecars, sports cars and special cars like the Formula 1 Williams FW08B all have methods to increase wheel area on the floor, stating increased grip. What is the reason behind these decisions? Is it static friction or something else, like cornering? Thanks - Oli. submitted by /u/olisharris [link] [comments]

What is the speed of heat? What factors can impact it? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 01:56 AM PDT It occurred to me during this annual festival I attend, theres a giant stage with a DJ and pyro technics. It happens this time of year when its cool so just walking by, from a pretty far distance, you can feel the heat hit you as soon as they fire. They just do a short, like 1 second burst, every few minutes. But I can feel it almost instantly. So it makes me wonder, what is the actual speed of heat? We know the speed of sound and light, which this also creates, but how fast is the heat traveling from that flame to my face? How much does it depend on the type of heat? A fire vs in home heating. Thanks. submitted by /u/profstarship [link] [comments]

Why do atoms in electron microscope images always look spherical, instead of p- or d-orbital shaped? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 10:02 PM PDT Why don't the microscope's imaging electrons interact or scatter off of the sample's electrons in p orbitals? Or d orbitals? Or any of those other interestingly shaped orbitals I was taught electrons can take? The images always show the atoms as relatively spherical blobs (s orbitals). submitted by /u/Bellgard [link] [comments]

What was Planck's intuition behind the quantization assumption? Posted: 25 Oct 2018 12:05 AM PDT First of All, I doubt there has ever been any new idea that did not involve intuition. However, most textbooks suggest that the quantization assumption (Energy can only be absorbed or radiated in form of a discrete quanta: E=hf , and the atomic oscillator can only vibrate by a given discrete quanta of energy) was just a mathematical trick, that Planck introduced to be able to drive his distribution law. Is this the only right way to think about it? If not, did Planck really have intuition behind quantization idea? submitted by /u/karim-mohie [link] [comments]

How does the body eliminates fat tissue? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 05:23 PM PDT I have been changing my life style, eating habits and exercising more. And it made me wonder, how does my body eliminates the fat issue previously stored? submitted by /u/RealGimba [link] [comments]

Why are the planetary orbits always presented as all being in the same plane? Are the 8 planets really all in the same plane? Are other planes of movement around the sun expected? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 08:53 PM PDT submitted by /u/drunktitswelcome [link] [comments]

Can antiretroviral medicine be used to treat a broad spectrum of sexually transmitted (say HSV or HPV) infections, or is it used specifically to treat HIV? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 06:56 PM PDT submitted by /u/Jfwhyte8 [link] [comments]

Are there any cultures that don't tell their children known fictitious folk tales (Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, etc.)? If so, what are the positive/negative effects? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 10:37 AM PDT submitted by /u/MrBragg [link] [comments]

What are solar flares called when they're on a different star? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 05:42 PM PDT What are sunspots and solar flares called when they happen on a star other than the Sun? Both of these names seem specific to our Sun. submitted by /u/ChesterDaMolester [link] [comments]

How would breaking of CPT symmetry collapse QFT and Theory of Relativity? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 10:06 AM PDT Veritasium in this video mentions the consequences if CPT symmetry breaking is discovered. If CPT is found to be broken by particle interactions, then we'd have to reconstruct QFT and relativity theories. Why? and what are the other assumptions for these theories? submitted by /u/lordofdkimgs [link] [comments]

How exactly is "turbulence" one of the last unsolved problems in classic physics, and how is it related to the Navier-Stokes equations? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 10:59 AM PDT I have read that Feynman said that turbulent flow was "the most important problem still left in classical physics". In what sense it is a "problem"? Does he mean that we cannot predict turbulence exactly in every situation, and therefore it is considered "unsolved"? What would it mean for the problem of turbulence to be solved, that we can describe it perfectly mathematically? Or that we can predict the exact patterns of turbulence when any force of any kind is applied to any fluid? Also, how does this relate to the idea of "smooth solutions" to the Naver Stokes equations? submitted by /u/ChongoChongo [link] [comments]

Have there been any significant changes in political polling methodology since the 2016 election? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 11:05 AM PDT As I look at different political polling data for the current election I got wondering if there have been any significant changes in political polling methodology since the 2016 elections. The polling was so off target for the previous election I'm wondering the information I'm looking at now is equally unreliable. Basically I'm asking what methodological changes have taken place, if any, since the last election? Do we know if the current set of data is more reliable? Also curious as to why the 2016 polling data was so off? Thanks. submitted by /u/FuelModel3 [link] [comments]

Why does wine taste better when it “breathes”? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 10:08 AM PDT submitted by /u/michaelk981 [link] [comments]

Is someone trying to develop electric airplanes? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 02:37 PM PDT Planes flying around make up some of the carbon emissions that speed up climate change. Is anyone trying to design electric planes? What are the major issues with them that we need to solve before it could be possible? Is there even a point to try or would it cause some other possibly bigger problem? submitted by /u/Jnsjknn [link] [comments]

What's the most fundamental way we can define temperature? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 09:14 AM PDT I had always approached temperature with the definition of being the root mean square of all the kinetic energy in a system, but my physics TA told me that this was actually a rather childish definition, and that a more accurate definition was that temperature was a sum of all the possible microstates of a system, or something like that, which to me sounded more like entropy than the temperature that I knew in real life. Fundamentally speaking, what is temperature? submitted by /u/_Sunny-- [link] [comments]

You are subscribed to email updates from AskScience: Got Questions? Get Answers.. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States

Do countries where people commonly wear face masks when sick have much fewer cases of flu or common colds than others?

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• Do countries where people commonly wear face masks when sick have much fewer cases of flu or common colds than others?
• How much energy is contained within a strike of lightning?
• If there is little to no friction or gravity in outer space to slow an object down, how come a space shuttle has a maximum speed? (Apparently around 28,000 kilometers per hour). Why can’t a spaceship continue to build momentum to reach up to light-speed?
• During the immune response immediately following a flu shot, are our bodies more susceptible to other bacterial or viral infections, such as the common cold?
• Ask Anything Wednesday - Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science
• How do inter-species animals know when they are playing?
• With current and relatively futuristic technology, would it be possible to create a type of exercise equipment or something similar in your home to supply your house with all the energy it would need for the day or next couple days?
• Would a near light speed electron that collided with a potential barrier have a higher chance of quantum tunneling due to the barrier being thinner in the electrons frame?
• Why is it that path difference due to reflection when light travels from a medium with low index of refraction (n) to a medium with a higher index of refraction is always exactly 180 degrees regardless of how much higher the 2nd n value is?
• Why in some systems mechanical energy is constant and in others momentum is conserved?
• Why was the Black Sea historically a freshwater body?
• Why are transition element complexes coloured?
• How does the Nitrate cycle work in freshwater ponds?
• Does working out help protect bone structure's?
• [Biochemistry] How do small nonpolar molecules just 'dissolve' through the phospholipid bilayer like that?
• Are personality traits genetic?
• How can we determine the age of the universe if time is relative?
• How do the electrodes of an EEG pick up electrical signals?
• What is the spectral resolution of a typical rainbow?
• Diseases can have different effects based on hormones. How would such diseases affect transgender people undergoing hormone replacement therapy?
• Why pictures of Earth are perfect spheres?

Do countries where people commonly wear face masks when sick have much fewer cases of flu or common colds than others? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 08:19 PM PDT submitted by /u/Just_want_to_log_in [link] [comments]

How much energy is contained within a strike of lightning? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 11:14 PM PDT submitted by /u/poohbear649 [link] [comments]

If there is little to no friction or gravity in outer space to slow an object down, how come a space shuttle has a maximum speed? (Apparently around 28,000 kilometers per hour). Why can’t a spaceship continue to build momentum to reach up to light-speed? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 09:43 PM PDT submitted by /u/Rachaelvl500 [link] [comments]

During the immune response immediately following a flu shot, are our bodies more susceptible to other bacterial or viral infections, such as the common cold? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 08:08 PM PDT submitted by /u/stealingfirst86 [link] [comments]

Ask Anything Wednesday - Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science Posted: 24 Oct 2018 08:12 AM PDT Welcome to our weekly feature, Ask Anything Wednesday - this week we are focusing on Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science Do you have a question within these topics you weren't sure was worth submitting? Is something a bit too speculative for a typical /r/AskScience post? No question is too big or small for AAW. In this thread you can ask any science-related question! Things like: "What would happen if...", "How will the future...", "If all the rules for 'X' were different...", "Why does my...". Asking Questions: Please post your question as a top-level response to this, and our team of panellists will be here to answer and discuss your questions. The other topic areas will appear in future Ask Anything Wednesdays, so if you have other questions not covered by this weeks theme please either hold on to it until those topics come around, or go and post over in our sister subreddit /r/AskScienceDiscussion , where every day is Ask Anything Wednesday! Off-theme questions in this post will be removed to try and keep the thread a manageable size for both our readers and panellists. Answering Questions: Please only answer a posted question if you are an expert in the field. The full guidelines for posting responses in AskScience can be found here. In short, this is a moderated subreddit, and responses which do not meet our quality guidelines will be removed. Remember, peer reviewed sources are always appreciated, and anecdotes are absolutely not appropriate. In general if your answer begins with 'I think', or 'I've heard', then it's not suitable for /r/AskScience. If you would like to become a member of the AskScience panel, please refer to the information provided here. Past AskAnythingWednesday posts can be found here. Ask away! submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]

How do inter-species animals know when they are playing? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 07:49 AM PDT I've seen a lot of aww videos and YouTube links of inter-species friends. Even some weird ones like the lioness that adopted a... gazelle?whatever it's prey is. Anyways, I know or I've heard that dogs "sneeze" at each other when they are rough playing, as an indication to the other dog like "hey I'm JK". But I'm wondering, how can they communicate when they aren't 2 dogs. Say a cat and a raven or a dog and a cheetah. submitted by /u/Nghtmare-Moon [link] [comments]

With current and relatively futuristic technology, would it be possible to create a type of exercise equipment or something similar in your home to supply your house with all the energy it would need for the day or next couple days? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 07:31 PM PDT submitted by /u/zdj913 [link] [comments]

Would a near light speed electron that collided with a potential barrier have a higher chance of quantum tunneling due to the barrier being thinner in the electrons frame? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 11:50 AM PDT Im only 3 weeks into my special relativity module so I am still very confused on alot of the concepts. I asked my lecturer about this and he answered to the best of his knowledge. He also told me if I wanted to know more i should have a look at quantum field theory. I also understand that special relativity and quantum dont like to get along with each other. submitted by /u/JakiroFunk [link] [comments]

Why is it that path difference due to reflection when light travels from a medium with low index of refraction (n) to a medium with a higher index of refraction is always exactly 180 degrees regardless of how much higher the 2nd n value is? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 11:28 PM PDT for example if light travels from air n=1.06 to water n=1.33 that phase difference due to reflection will be 180 degrees because the light got slower. if it goes from air to oil n=1.50 the phase difference is still 180 degrees even though it's going even slower than it was in the water. Also why does it only change if it goes from low n to higher n? why not also from higher n to lower n? submitted by /u/CptSnowcone [link] [comments]

Why in some systems mechanical energy is constant and in others momentum is conserved? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 01:19 AM PDT submitted by /u/Vicara12 [link] [comments]

Why was the Black Sea historically a freshwater body? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 01:53 PM PDT This is a question that came up in an r/history thread (here), where the explanation for the ship's preservation given is that the Black Sea is essentially a freshwater body with a saltwater cap. I know that similar meromictic compositions occur in other water bodies with poor internal circulation (e.g. Lake Tanganyika), but this raises an interesting question: Endorheic lakes should become saline over time -- as the only possible outlets for such lakes are evaporation and occasionally groundwater, they are always evaporation basins and concentrate salts and other impurities from the river systems feeding them within themselves. Prior to the Mediterranean Sea breaching the Bosporus, the Black Sea was likewise endorheic: it had no natural outflow. Yet the primordial sea was apparently a freshwater body, as the water remains down there, trapped under the saltwater cap. So what gives? What's the explanation for why the Holocene Black Sea was a freshwater endorheic lake? P.S. Thanks for u/frank_mania suggesting I post this question here! submitted by /u/hammersklavier [link] [comments]

Why are transition element complexes coloured? Posted: 24 Oct 2018 12:05 AM PDT From what I understand, the electrons in a lower energy state absorb certain wavelength of light falling in the visible region, and the complementary wavelength is what we see as the colour of the complex. The electrons transition to a higher energy state after absorbing said wavelength. But when the electrons jump back to the original energy state, do they not emit the same wavelength they absorbed initially? Why do we then see only the complementary wavelength and not the whole spectrum? submitted by /u/Vesuvion [link] [comments]

How does the Nitrate cycle work in freshwater ponds? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 06:00 PM PDT I am doing an internship soon and I still don't fully understand how it works. I was not sure if this question would belong in Earth science or Chemistry. I also know that plants and certain animals play a role in it too ,but I don't know why they do. submitted by /u/Emy_Lee09 [link] [comments]

Does working out help protect bone structure's? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 10:23 AM PDT I have always wondered if for example working out and training your back muscle's, help to protect your spine against damage by for example lifting heavy object's with bad posture. ​ if so is this universal for all bone structures (knee's and neck come to mind) or just the spine? submitted by /u/Ahqoviing [link] [comments]

[Biochemistry] How do small nonpolar molecules just 'dissolve' through the phospholipid bilayer like that? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 09:04 PM PDT So, phospholipid bilayers have a hydrophobic "tail" and a hydrophillic "head" which conveniently creates the phospholipid bilayer. That part and the fluidity associated with this makes perfect sense. ​ However, am I wrong to assume that the cytoplasm and the extracellular 'fluid' of a cell composes of mostly water? Because this raises a few questions. ​ First, I understand that nonpolar molecules can 'dissolve' inbetween the tails of the phospholipid bilayers. That makes sense. However, nonpolar molecules are not water-soluable because water is a polar molecule. How is it, then, that they can merely 'diffuse' through the heads and into the water-containing cytoplasm? How do they even float around in the extracellular 'fluid' in the first place? Wouldn't small nonpolar molecules, like Carbon Dioxide, be repelled from the cytoplasm and would 'stay' dissolved between the hydrophobic interior of the phospholipid bilayer? Wouldn't they be repelled from entering the extracellular fluid in the first place? submitted by /u/sbundlab [link] [comments]

Are personality traits genetic? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 08:22 PM PDT This might be a really stupid question but do we get at least some parts of our character/personality from our parents? submitted by /u/Aurora_Rose77 [link] [comments]

How can we determine the age of the universe if time is relative? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 03:52 PM PDT This has been bugging me. If time is relative to the observer, how can we know how old the universe is? Or any sort of celestial body for that matter? Is our gravity/velocity low enough that we experience time close to its "true" speed? Is there any place in the known universe that we experience time significantly slower than? submitted by /u/JamesRRustled [link] [comments]

How do the electrodes of an EEG pick up electrical signals? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 10:52 AM PDT I get that it reads and amplifies electrical signals from the brain, and sorry if this question applies more to physics, but how do the electrodes pick up the signals in first place? Does the thick layer of bone between the electrodes and the brain not interfere with the signals? submitted by /u/Protein-Shake [link] [comments]

What is the spectral resolution of a typical rainbow? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 02:14 PM PDT A spectrum's resolution is given by the quantity R = λ / Δλ, where λ is the wavelength (i.e., color) of light, and Δλ is the smallest difference in wavelengths that can be distinguished at λ. It's essentially a measure of how much light is spread into its component colors by something like a prism, or diffraction grating. As an astronomy grad student, I work with an astronomical spectrograph with R = ~150,000. I'm curious: what is the spectral resolution of a typical natural rainbow? submitted by /u/crazunggoy47 [link] [comments]

Diseases can have different effects based on hormones. How would such diseases affect transgender people undergoing hormone replacement therapy? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 12:16 PM PDT As an extra question, if someone starts transitioning at a younger age, how would that effect which diseases they get compared to transitioning at an older age? submitted by /u/zieleix [link] [comments]

Why pictures of Earth are perfect spheres? Posted: 23 Oct 2018 08:22 AM PDT Why do we insist on drawing and picturing the Earth as a perfect sphere but in reality it's an elliptical sphere? submitted by /u/andeffect [link] [comments]

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