Interesting faxes thread

[Dr Sardonicus]

The (approximate) molecular weight of the asphyxiant CO is 12 + 16 = 28, which is the same as the 14 + 14 of N₂, which is by far the largest component of air. (The next-largest is oxygen, with a molecular weight near 32.) So, in addition to being colorless and odorless, carbon monoxide is almost neutrally buoyant in air.

Methane, the principal component of natural gas, is colorless and odorless. With a molecular weight of 12 + 4 = 16, it is considerably lighter than air. Nonetheless, it can easily mix with air to form an explosive mixture, as it often does in coal mines, where it was long known as "firedamp." (The "damp" is from the German Dampf, vapor.) It was dreaded for the mine explosions it caused, which came without warning.

With the distribution of odorless flammable gas for domestic and commercial use came the danger of similar explosions due to leaks. Gas was first "odorized" in Germany in the 1880's to make gas leaks easily detectable. Today's familiar "gas smell" is due to the addition of an "odorant," usually isporopyl mercaptan, often mixed with tert-butyl mercaptan.

Here in the USA, odorization of gas only became widespread after the New London, TX school explosion in 1937. It leveled the building and killed almost 300 school kids.

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

The (approximate) molecular weight of the asphyxiant CO is 12 + 16 = 28, which is the same as the 14 + 14 of N₂, which is by far the largest component of air. (The next-largest is oxygen, with a molecular weight near 32.) So, in addition to being colorless and odorless, carbon monoxide is almost neutrally buoyant in air.

(my emphasis)

That may be factually true, but the logic is leaking. Molar weight has nothing to do with buoyancy. The density, does.

[S485122]

Originally Posted by LaurV

(my emphasis)

That may be factually true, but the logic is leaking. Molar weight has nothing to do with buoyancy. The density, does.

Never heard of Avogadro's "law" : a mole of a gas has the same volume at a given temperature and pressure whatever the gas. In other words he molecular weight gives a very good idea of the density.

Jacob

[LaurV]

yep Brain fart...

\(\rho=\frac{P\mu}{RT}\)

I was good at chemistry and thermodynamics in high school... But that was last century... Getting older and stupider (and too eager to catch Dr.S. in offside haha).

[a1call]

Originally Posted by S485122

Never heard of Avogadro's "law" : a mole of a gas has the same volume at a given temperature and pressure whatever the gas. In other words he molecular weight gives a very good idea of the density.

Jacob

Avocados can be poisonous to horses. Nasty stuff.

https://ker.com/equinews/avocados-can-toxic-horses/

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by a1call

Avocados can be poisonous to horses. Nasty stuff.

https://ker.com/equinews/avocados-can-toxic-horses/

Based on the xkcd "What if?..." A mole of moles, we have

6.02214076 x 10²³ avocados = Planet Guacamole

[a1call]

I think it's time to change my hearing aid's battery.
Apologies for the misunderstanding.

[a1call]

This plant has small, lateral leaflets which move at speeds rapid enough to be perceivable with the naked eye. This is possibly a strategy to maximise light by tracking the sun.[2][3] Each leaf is equipped with a hinge that permits it to be moved to receive more sunlight, but the weight of these leaves means the plant must expend a lot of energy in moving it. To optimise its movement, each large leaf has two small leaflets at its base. These move constantly along an elliptical path, sampling the intensity of sunlight, and directing the large leaf to the area of most intensity.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codariocalyx_motorius

Realtime video:

https://youtu.be/Ta4I5Uwv9m0

[a1call]

Tardigrades, which are also known as space bears or moss piglets, are able to survive for up to 30 years without food or water and endure temperature extremes of up to 150 degrees celsius, the deep sea and the frozen vacuum of space.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...l-alive-earth/

Temperature – tardigrades can survive:
A few minutes at 151 °C (304 °F)[51]
30 years at −20 °C (−4 °F)[52]
A few days at −200 °C (−328 °F; 73 K)[51]
A few minutes at −272 °C (−458 °F; 1 K)[53]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade

[The Carnivore]

- This year, Trump had over 100,000 more popular votes in California than he had in Texas. Biden had over 250,000 more popular votes in Ohio than he had in Massachusetts.

- Reno, NV is over 200 miles away from the Pacific Ocean as the crow flies. But it's still further west than Los Angeles, CA.

- As the crow flies, New York City is closer to Moscow than it is to Hawaii.

- If one year = one millimeter and you took the most direct driving route from NYC to Santa Monica, CA, you'd have:

Manhattan: Formation of the Earth

Western Pennsylvania: First life on Earth

Western Arizona: Cambrian explosion, first complex non-microsopic lifeforms, such as Trilobites

Mid Southern California: Great Dying, worst mass-extinction event

15 miles east of Barstow, CA: First dinosaurs appear

Suburb of eastern Los Angeles County: K-Pg impact that kills the non-avian dinosaurs

Near Culver City, approximately 5 miles from the beach: Last common ancestor of humans and chimps

Width of the beach, approximately 3 football fields long: Homo Sapiens' existence

39 feet / 12 meters: Holocene epoch, development of agriculture

3 inches: typical human lifespan excluding infant mortality

Thickness of a human hair: one month

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by The Carnivore

- If one year = one millimeter ...
<snip> Formation of the Earth

Checking the Gugu Earth to see if there are about 4500 km (four point five BILLIONS mm !!) from NYC to Santa Monica... The old US of A didn't seem so large to me, I mean east-west. I thought "this guy doesn't know to compute in metric system"...
Ok, lucky you! you escaped the criticism this time...