Melissa Huff
An engineer who applies the principles of chemistry, physics, and engineering to design equipment and processes for manufacturing products such as gasoline, detergents, and paper.
Non Forest Service
SHARE
My favorite science experience was when my physics classmates in college and I watched our professor dip a rubber ball into liquid nitrogen. He then dropped it, and the ball shattered. This is due to the temperature of the liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees Celsius or -321 degrees Fahrenheit). As you cool a gas down, the atoms move less and less rapidly. Eventually, the attractive forces between the atoms hold them together as a liquid. If you cool the rubber ball down in the liquid nitrogen, the atoms in the rubber become locked into position so they can’t move past each other. The ball becomes very brittle, and it can easily shatter.
SHARE
Featured from Natural Inquirer
-
The Forest Products Laboratory, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is a place where scientists work to develop wood products for human use. The scientists at this laboratory develop processes for making...Which Do You A-Door? Comparing the Energy Needed to Make Wood and Steel Doors
The Forest Products Laboratory, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is a place where scientists work to develop wood products for human use. The scientists at this laboratory develop processes for making...
