10 Interesting Sulfur Facts

Sulfur is element number 16 on the periodic table, with element symbol S and an atomic weight of 32.066. This common nonmetal occurs in food, many household products, and even your own body. Sulfur Facts Here are 10 interesting facts about sulfur: Sulfur is an essential element for life. Its found in amino acids (cysteine and methionine) and proteins. Sulfur compounds are why onions make you cry, why asparagus gives urine a weird odor, why garlic has a distinctive aroma, and why rotten eggs smell so horrible.Although many sulfur compounds have a strong smell, the pure element is odorless. Sulfur compounds also affect your sense of smell. For example, hydrogen sulfide (H2S, the culprit behind the rotten egg odor) actually deadens the sense of smell, so the odor is very strong at first and then vanishes. This is unfortunate because hydrogen sulfide is a toxic and potentially deadly gas. Elemental sulfur is considered nontoxic.Mankind has known about sulfur since ancient times. The element, also known as brimstone, primarily comes from volcanoes. While most chemical elements occur only in compounds, sulfur is one of relatively few elements that occur in pure form.At room temperature and pressure, sulfur is a yellow solid. Its usu ally seen as a powder, but it forms crystals, too. One interesting feature of the crystals is that they spontaneously change shape according to temperature. To observe the transition, melt sulfur, allow it to cool until it crystallizes, and observe the crystal shape over time.Were you surprised you could crystallize sulfur simply by cooling the melted powder? This is a common method of growing metal crystals. While sulfur is a nonmetal, like metals it wont readily dissolve in water or other solvents (although it will dissolve in carbon disulfide). If you tried the crystal project, another surprise might have been the color of sulfur liquid when you heated the powder. Liquid sulfur can appear blood-red. Volcanoes that spew molten sulfur display another interesting feature of the element: It burns with a blue flame from the sulfur dioxide that is produced. Volcanoes with sulfur appear to run with blue lava.How you spell the name of element number 16 likely depends on where and when yo u grew up. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) adopted the sulfur spelling in 1990, as did the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1992. Up to this point, the spelling was sulphur in Britain and in countries using the Roman languages. The original spelling was the Latin word sulfur, which was Hellenized to sulphur.Sulfur has many uses. Its a component of gunpowder and is believed to have been used in the ancient flamethrower weapon called Greek Fire. Its a key component of sulfuric acid, which is used in labs and in making other chemicals. Its found in the antibiotic penicillin and is used for fumigation against diseases and pests. Sulfur is a component of fertilizers and also pharmaceuticals.Sulfur is created as part of the alpha process in massive stars. It is the 10th most abundant element in the universe. Its found in meteorites and on Earth mainly near volcanoes and hot springs. The abundance of the element is higher in the core than in the Earths crust. Its estimated there is enough sulfur on Earth to make two bodies the size of the Moon. Common minerals that contain sulfur include pyrite or fools gold (iron sulfide), cinnabar (mercury sulfide), galena (lead sulfide), and gypsum (calcium sulfate).Some organisms are able to use sulfur compounds as an energy source. An example are cave bacteria, which produce special stalactites called snottites that drip sulfuric acid. The acid is sufficiently concentrated that it can burn skin and eat holes through clothes if you stand beneath the minerals. Natural dissolution of minerals by the acid carves out new caves.Although people always knew about sulfur, it wasnt recognized until later as an element (except by alchemists, who also considered fire and earth elements). It was 1777 when Antoine Lavoisier provided convincing evidence that the substance was indeed its own unique element, worthy of a place on the periodic table. The element has oxidation states ranging from -2 to 6, allowing it to f orm compounds with all the other elements except the noble gases.

Physics Of The Field Of Medicine - 1381 Words

The study of physics over the last year has been intriguing and extremely valuable to my education to pursuer a career in the field of medicine. Learning physics in the classroom is one thing, but being able to apply it to everyday scenarios is what has made this course so interesting compared to other various science courses offered at Gonzaga. When I was three years old my parents bought me my first pair of hockey skates and since then hockey has consumed my entire life. Upon receiving this assignment I was enthusiastic about applying knowledge form the classroom into my hockey life. The above picture was taken my sophomore year at Gonzaga at Eagles Ice Arena in Spokane, Washington. I am winding up in preparation to take a slap shot†¦show more content†¦Newton’s Second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net external force and inversely proportional to the mass of an object. Force and acceleration are both vectors and will p oint in the same direction. Newton’s third law states that forces occur in pairs, so when a force acts on an object there will be a reaction from the object to where the force is applied. The second object will exert a force back onto the original object that is equal in magnitude but opposite in the direction. Newton’s laws are able to yield the equation F=ma. In the case of figuring out the hockey shot a=(Vf2-Vi2)/2Δx, and when you combine the equation together you get F=m=(Vf2-Vi2)/2Δx. All that is needed to figure out the force on the hockey puck is the initial velocity, the final velocity, the mass and the distance traveled. The mass of a hockey puck is .160kg and the length traveled is 17.3 meters. The initial velocity of the puck in my case was 0 m/s and the final speed of the puck was 87 mph measured by a radar gun which converted to 38.89 m/s. With all this information the force could be calculated. F=.160kg(38.89 m/s 2 – 0 m/s 2)/2(17.3m) which equaled 6.99 N or 7.00 N. The second thing I wanted to look in this picture was the transfer of kinetic energy from the stick to the puck and to see if kinetic energy would be conserved in this collision. A collision is classified as is momentum being conserved from one moving object striking another

Is Googel Making Us stupid stupid free essay sample

Is Google Making Us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr illustrates to me that the internet is slowing down the development of our brain. I agree with his argument that technology has affected out attention span, he sets an example of how we now cannot concentrate on the readings, Scott Karp, and Bruce Friedman, both agree that their ability to read long articles has been affected by the web. Also, I agree with Carr that we are becoming low thinking people because the internet gives us easy access to have quick information research. However, I think that Google and the internet are actually helping us to learn new information. It is because when the computers are not here, we do all things by hand. If you want to know what a word means, you would need to get a dictionary. If you want to look up something that your teacher mentioned in class, but you dont know what it is, or how does it look like. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Googel Making Us stupid stupid? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then, you would have to find the encyclopedia to look for it. In nowadays, we do everything by computer, communicate with people, blogging, searching, watch videos, etc. We can learn new information quickly by searching from the internet. As Carr said, It [the Net] injects the medium’s content with hyperlinks, blinking ads, and other digital gewgaws, and it surrounds the content with the content of all the other media it has absorbed. A new e-mail message, for instance, may announce its arrival as we’re glancing over the latest headlines at a newspaper’s site (Carr 62). They take away our concentration, when we are reading an article there are lots of ads, hyperlinks, which would take our attentions. Thus, we will go to another website and look for other stuffs. Furthermore, Carr explains that, The clock’s methodical ticking helped bring into being the scientific mind and the scientific man. But it also took something away When the mechanical clock arrived, people began thinking of their brains as operating like clockwork. Today, in the age of software, we have come to think of them as operating like computers' (Carr 62), after the invention of the clocks, people have designated times to do certain things, to eat, to work, to sleep. People actually start obeying the clock. Carr believes that in the future, human will be acting like a machine and this make me think that it is actually a problem. After reading Carrs article, I realized that the internet has got into me. Internet has made it hard to stay focused when reading things you dont have interest on. When there was no internet exists, I would actually find information through books or newspapers, but now, I barely touch them. I just need to open a computer and google the information that I am looking for. And it takes shorter time instead of using a lot of time to read a long article. I think Carr does a good job on giving a lot of evidences to back up his arguments.

Ode To An Inspiration free essay sample

When asked to think of a person I would like to meet for dinner, my mind teems with possibilities. But for me the decision is simple. I would select the gifted vocalist and lyricist, Tori Amos. At this moment in my life there are but two things I devote my ungoverned moments to listening to music and pursuing my independent thoughts. Music has shaped my life probably more than anything else. I was brought up surrounded by the sounds of the bands of my fathers youth like the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd. And in my own adolescence I have found nothing as comforting and stress-relieving as time spent with music. In choosing Tori Amos I am not saying that historic figures like Amelia Earhart or Abraham Lincoln havent inspired my life, but as a forthcoming woman, I find Tori Amoss spirit impressive at a time when I am shaping my own identity. We will write a custom essay sample on Ode To An Inspiration or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Identity has been hard sought for me in a world where women are, despite the womens movement, compelled to worship and value their bodies far more than their spirits. Women are faced every day with the struggle to balance their sexuality with their desires to conquer the world. And I suppose that at eighteen, I hold great respect for Tori Amos and her resilience. Her music does far more than merely leave its listener with a sense of entertainment. Tori Amoss lyrics of personal struggle command a listener to feel. To hear tales of adversity and subsequent survival is to realize that to have your sexuality violently stripped from you due to rape isnt the end. We live in a world where rape has become almost a norm and to know that this beautiful music comes from the heart of someone who was so violated has brought me odd strength. Her music motivates me to rise above the challenges. Tori Amos may not have flown solo across the mighty Atlantic like Amelia Earhart or brought a nation through its bloodiest war like Lincoln, but she has made me strong and allowed me to see that while the world is replete with obstacles ever ready to rob women of their identities, one will always be able to transcend and make beautiful music. Now, if I could only convince her to sing with me, life would be complete.

picasso and george braque Essay Example

picasso and george braque Essay PICASSOS and BRAQUES FABULOUS BREAKTHROUGH Painting is one of the most interesting skills in our life. Any child of eight can do it, but the important thing in painting is uses of styles. The people who have talents and can use styles very successfully and can create new techniques. With the new techniques, primitive artlost the sense and artists found modern techniques so modern art period started. Looking for the origin of modern art, it is the way of primitive art. Primitive art is far away from culture, traditions, styles but we must consider that modern art comes after developing primitive styles. That is to say; modern art is affected by primitivism.(Goldwater,1986) Art become meaningful because it has the power to express ideas, forms and events; it reflects peoples opinion, artists feelings. The modern art began with Industrial Revolution in the second half of the 19th century and new art styles and movements appeared and disappeared.(Smith,1972) All distinct styles came from different aspects of the changing world and each reflects the modernism in its own way.The most effective period of modern art was 20th century and Cubism which is the paintings with cubic shapes is the most influential visual arts style of the 20th centurythat was created principally by the painters Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque   in Paris between 1907 and 1914. (Herbert,1964). Picasso and Braque used similar common styles of cubist, but the differences are most important which are their own styles and object that they used,different forms of Cubism movement that they started and the different political view that they showed as a reflection of their ideas in their paintings. Even they had different or similar ideas of Cubism, both of two were the creater of Cubism at the same time but I can said that Picasso had the more influence on Cubism than Braque. The only similar

Facts About the Burial of Qin Shi Huangdi

Facts About the Burial of Qin Shi Huangdi In the spring of 1974, farmers in Shaanxi Province, China were digging a new well when they struck a hard object. It turned out to be part of a terracotta soldier. Soon, Chinese archaeologists realized that the entire area outside of the city of Xian (formerly Chang an) was underlain by an enormous necropolis; an army, complete with horses, chariots, officers and infantry, as well as a court, all made of terracotta. The farmers had discovered one of the worlds greatest archaeological wonders: the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. What was the purpose of this magnificent army? Why did Qin Shi Huangdi, who was obsessed with immortality, make such elaborate arrangements for his burial? The Reason Behind the Terracotta Army Qin Shi Huangdi was buried with the terracotta army and court because he wanted to have the same military power and imperial status in the afterlife as he had enjoyed during his earthly lifetime. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, he unified much of modern-day northern and central China under his rule, which lasted from 246 to 210 BCE. Such an accomplishment would be difficult to replicate in the next life without a proper army, hence the 10,000 clay soldiers with weapons, horses, and chariots. The great Chinese historian Sima Qian (145-90 BCE) reports that construction of the burial mound began as soon as Qin Shi Huangdi ascended the throne, and involved hundreds of thousands of artisans and laborers. Perhaps because the emperor ruled for more than three decades, his tomb grew to be one of the largest and most complex ever built. According to surviving records, Qin Shi Huangdi was a cruel and ruthless ruler. A proponent of legalism, he had Confucian scholars stoned to death or buried alive because he disagreed with their philosophy. However, the terracotta army is actually a merciful alternative to earlier traditions both in China and in other ancient cultures. Often, early rulers from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties had soldiers, officials, concubines and other attendants buried along with the dead emperor. Sometimes the sacrificial victims were killed first; even more horrifically, they were often entombed alive. Either Qin Shi Huangdi himself or his advisors decided to substitute the intricately-made terracotta figures for actual human sacrifices, saving the lives of more than 10,000 men plus hundreds of horses. Each life-sized terracotta soldier is modeled on an actual person as they have distinct facial features and hairstyles. The officers are depicted as being taller than the foot soldiers, with the generals tallest of all. Although higher-status families may have had better nutrition than lower-class ones, it is probable that this is symbolism rather than a reflection of every officer actually being taller than all of the regular troops. After Qin Shi Huangdis Death Shortly after Qin Shi Huangdis death in 210 BCE, his sons rival for the throne, Xiang Yu, may have looted the weapons of the terracotta army, and burned the support timbers. In any case, the timbers were burned and the section of the tomb containing the clay troops collapsed, smashing the figures to pieces. Approximately 1,000 of the 10,000 total have been put back together. Qin Shi Huangdi himself is buried under an enormous pyramid-shaped mound that stands some distance from the excavated sections of the burial. According to ancient historian Sima Qian, the central tomb contains treasures and wondrous objects, including flowing rivers of pure mercury (which was associated with immortality). Soil testing nearby has revealed elevated levels of mercury, so there may be some truth to this legend. Legend also records that the central tomb is booby-trapped to fend off looters and that the emperor himself placed a powerful curse on any who dared to invade his final resting place. Mercury vapor may be the real danger, but in any case, the government of China has been in no great hurry to excavate the central tomb itself. Perhaps it is best not to disturb Chinas infamous First Emperor.

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve - Essay Example This site is also famous for its bio diversity. As per the findings of UNESCO (World Heritage Nomination, 1992), a number of more than 500 new species of fauna have been discovered in Mount Nimba Reserve and there are more than 200 endemic species. The species diversity found here is rich because of the variety of eco tones created by the presence of grasslands which are tied with the forest. The mammals of Mount Nimba include bushbuck, black duiker, bay duiker, forest buffalo, bush pig, white-bellied pangolin, pygmy hippopotamus, leopard, lion, golden cat, two-spotted palm civet, African civet, forest genet, Johnston's genet, cane rat, African clawless otter, lesser otter shrew and chimpanzees. Apart from the animals, there are a number of rare and endemic bird species as well here in. The forests also contain numerous reptile and amphibian species including West African toad and much variety of frogs (World Heritage Nomination, 1992). This biodiversity includes flora as well. When it comes to the biological interrelationship among the life forms, we should consider the food chain. The bottom tier of the food chain is constituted by the flora including grasses, trees and shrubs. The second tier of the food chain consists of all the animals such as deer and buffaloes that assume plants and grass for their food. Finally, the predators include leopards and lions. The existence of one section is impossible in the absence of another section. Thus, all sections are equally important as they depend on each other for food and existence. Though Mount Nimba was not much affected by human intrusions, it had a severe threat in 1992 by an international consortium as it came forward proposing an iron ore mining site in this area. In addition to this, a large number of refugees from Liberia invaded this park for their inhabitation. As reported in United Nations Environment Programme (2008), The World Heritage Committee expressed its concern over the issue and placed Mount Ni mba among the list of world heritages in danger. In response to the Heritage Committee's concern about the impacts of mining and the refugees to the Mount Nimba, the Guinean Ministry for Energy and Environment in 1995 set up a Management Centre that is answerable to environmental and legal questions, for monitoring the water quality of the region, for socio-economic studies and integrated rural development. The strict prohibition of tourism prevents further human intrusion in the site (United Nations Environment Programme, 2008). On realizing the importance of keeping and preserving the heritage and sanctity of Mount Nimba, on 28 January 1989 a convention was signed by UNDP, UNESCO and the Guinean government to initiate a two-year project to study the impact of traditional agricultural methods and iron ore extraction etc, that disturbed the environmentalists for a while, on the natural values of the site. The project proposed included scientific studies to ascertain complete knowled ge of the reserve's extremely rich and immense ecosystems, and technical measures for monitoring and protecting the biodiversity in it. Being listed in the world heritages list by UNESCO, Mount Nimba is well protected. The prohibition of tourism in this area was as well in the belief that it would help the site to prosper without any hold back (World Heritage Nomination, 1992). There are a lot of things that a man can do to help