paulsutton

Good point, thanks

I want to make a solution of Citric Acid, for experiments, so just asking here to make sure my method is correct So to make 250ml of 1M Citric Acid and having looked up the Molecular weight of Citric Acid: I need to calculate as follows Producing 250ml – so need to weigh out ¼ of the molar mass 192.12g / 4 = 48.03g which is the same as 0.25 (ml) x 192.12g Where 192,12 is the mass of Citric Acid therefore 1 Mol As i Mol is Formula Weight in 1 Litre of water, then we only need 1/2 of this as 250 ml is 1/2 of litre Therefore just dissolve 48.03 g in 250ml water. As I don't have a lab balance, Will use 48g, This is for home Chemistry anyway. Just checking, Thanks Paul

I can try with Citric Acid, not sure if I have anything else, Sodium Hydrogen Sulfate is acidic, but i don't think Magnesium will displace the Sodium. This is the fun of home chemistry, experiments and researching this.

Thanks for this, I will have another go with the Zinc, could be that it is again older, and also tarnished / oxidised. I have attached a picture of the magnesium, as a comparison before and after cleaning a piece. The zinc reaction may just be a lot slower, or hindered by the contamination. With Mg(Ac)2, I take it the (Ac))2 is for acetate, so a shorthand form of Mg(CH3COO)2 Just asking as If I need to explain this to others, it makes it easier. Nice to know about these shorter forms of writing formulaie The zinc I have here is very grey, as they are graduals a little more challenging to scrub wit something abrasive, compared with the Magnesium.

Thanks for this, much appreciated it is a fun experiment to do. I have just given the Magnesium a rub with a sanding block, works a treat, nice and shiny as it should be. Will look up the electro chemical series too. Regards Paul

In an attempt to get back in to doing some more home chemistry and also come up with ideas for a STEM group i am running,. I recently had a go at seeing what would happen if various metallic elements were added to White Vinegar. So using 3 test tubes, Magnesium Ribbon, Copper foil and Zinc Granuals (all i have access to at the moment), I added these to the vinegar So given that the latter two don't react, I can probably re-use, but rather than simply putting back in the containers they came from, is there a easy way to clean them (not sure if that is the right term). I was thinking of just adding to a beaker of water to hopefully remove any residue of White Vinegar (Acetic Acid) so basically giving them a quick wash and dry them off. It may not be needed, however it is probably good practice to do so. Also, as the magnesium reacts, As it has been it a container for a long time before I used it, and most of the shine has gone so it is tarnished, what is the best way to clean it please. I have tried a rubber thing I use to clean vero / strip board before soldering, and also a wire brush, anything else i can try. Would be nice to have a better surface area for future attempts. What did surprise me what that within an hour the magnesium had reacted which is kinda cool really, ( I didn't use much to begin with) not quite sure what to do with what was produced, which i think is probably Magnesium Acetate, must be able to use for some other experiment somewhere. Thanks for any help / advice. Paul Sutton

I found a link to the 2022 highlights from the Journal of experimental biology on Mastodon, so just sharing here as it may be of interest to anyone here. https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/pages/highlights-2022 This is a free download. Hope this is of interest, I am not connect to them in anyway, just followed them and am sharing. Paul

Thanks for this, I did sort of build one of these up at the STEM group meeting but the people who this was aimed at didn't make it. So hopefully can do this at a future event.

Just a quick question about this, I downloaded the attached from Openclipart. I am a little confused as to why Uracil and Thymine appear identical, other than the numbers. I am not too sure what the numerical values around Uracil represent. Could someone clarity what these are please. If the molecule is wrong then I will just have a look for a better resource for this. As far as I am aware Uracil is not one of the main 4 actual nucleobase. However would be good to have a little more understanding of what I am looking at here, as I am planning an activity to build these molecules from molymods as part of a STEM Group activity. Thanks Paul

Interesting, sounds like it is something that at some point in the future will be a possibility, but it is clear generally that this would also need huge investment long term, and also assurance that people have or will be able to develop the skills needed to work at these power stations at all levels. I can't see the current government planning that far ahead or working with other parties to ensure some sort of continuity of policy to ensure long term stability of projects.

Nuclear fusion plant to be built at West Burton A power station https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-63119465 Interesting article, how viable is this method of generating power? just posting here for comments and perhaps we can collate related articles and papers etc relating to fusion technology. Paul

Cool thanks

Is it possible to add a Atomic Energy category to the Physics section please. Or perhaps advise where best to start a thread on a related topic (Fusion reactors). Thanks Paul

Sounds like a step in the right direction, we are treading on new ground experimentation -> learning and ten revision of what we can do, but also what we can't do. Even if the plants fail to grow as long as we can learn and then find a way to try different things we should eventually get to the point where we can grow things.

I meant in the context that Mark Chapman was holding a copy of the book when he shot John Lennon in 1980.

Cool thanks for this, I can't upvote this as it seems my days quota has been reached. is this still something we should be thinking about when we start building bases on the moon, making sure that we can detect and also deflect incoming objects. ?

Could be yes, I am not an expert but we know ecosystems are complex How much do we really understand about how everything fits together. We are killing off bees and other insects, they are needed to fertilize crops so there could be a combination of many factors, we ave found microplastics all over the world are they having an effect, what about for ever chemicals.?

I think this thread suggests there are problems with soil fertility etc, you would need to do a lot of work to make the desert sand suitable to grow crops, for human consumption. Why not use solar power?

I would guess that growing crops remove nutrients from the soil, but this can't simply be replaced the soil is a living organism in a way full of microbes,bacteria essential compounds, so a very find balance.

Catcher in the Rye has a different significance for Beatles' fans

In some cases the screens stay up to protect staff from abuse.

Is that not right then, i thought Helium was produced from the fusion of Hydrogen in stars. Hence the name is derived from Helios (sun) They have recently grown plants from returned moon soil, which may imply that there could be some nutrients in that soil If I understand things plants need Nitrogen and other elements found in soil to grow properly. I know peas use a lot of Nitrogen and can't generally be planted in the same place each year as time is needed for the level of Nitrogen to recover (I could be wrong here) https://www.universal-sci.com/article/plants-grown-in-moon-soil Important step and opens up more fields of research. Paul

Firstly I am not an expert but can offer this, as others have pointed out money and the costs involved Here in the UK we do have a canal network, that can extend vast distances (well at least for the UK) but I think ultimately it is about proper management of the land, dredge rivers. This of course depends on the land owner giving permission etc (the same for land owners) Unless they can be convinced, which is easier if they can some how benefit too. I think another cause of flooding is blocked sewers, people will put oils /fats down sinks, or put wet wipes down the toilet, all of which cause blockage. Blocked drains caused by leaves and other debris, which if left causes problems, But how often do we get so much rain it causes these issues, so the argument is that unblocking drains to stop the issue becomes an expense. When there is heavy rain the sewers can't cope, of course London sewers have been around since Victorian times, so while still working, the population of London has increased massively since that time. but finding efficient ways to move water around will be essential going forward.

In terms of Origins of Elements I found this posted on Twitter I think the other day which may be helpful Lighter elements were formed in stars, heavier elements seemed to have been formed when stars explode, or undergo changes during their life time / end of life.

Yes discarded masks are causing problems world wide I think given there are probably billions used over the pandemic and some not disposed of properly. More people are working from home, which also means they are heating homes during the winter, so that may have an impact, this could be mitigated by the current fuel costs, going up, which may force people to find other places to work remotely rather than at home, or just return to the office. Also running computers / printers at home, seems that cost of INk is having problems too, I would assume most offices uses laser printers, which are more efficient, and can print more per toner unit too. I guess there are a lot of factors. Seems that since the lockdowns have eased or ended people are going back to their old ways.