The " I always wondered" thread

[Sava]

Another question:

How reliable are Einstein's theories? ...since he used thought experiment... I know that some of his stuff has been confirmed, but is it possible that certain experiments may not give results needed to consider Einstein's theories to be correct in all situations?

[Heresson]

There is a question I would want to ask, but when I asked our dear Ming about it in a PM, if it is acceptable for a post, I got no reply and He didn't talk to me ever since...

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Heresson
There is a question I would want to ask, but when I asked our dear Ming about it in a PM, if it is acceptable for a post, I got no reply and He didn't talk to me ever since...

If a reasonnable amount of time elapsed since you raised your request, let say 6 months or so, you can safely consider yourself authorized to post your question, as dangerous as you suspect it to be.

Disclaimer : This only a free advice in which my responsibility is not committed whatever the outcome could be.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by CyberGnu
Sort of nitpicking: While the O-H bond is somewhat stronger than the C-H bond (about 20 kj stronger), it is significantly easier to break the O-H bond. This is because bond strengths doesn't tell you anything about the intermediates - if you have an ionic process, for example, you get completely different kinetics. Just compare tha acidity of water and methane.

Hm, since methane is not soluable in water, it's not acidic?

Originally posted by CyberGnu
BTW, did I mention that coming up with better ways to break the C-H bond is what I do for a living?

Hm, say if you reduce iron oxide with methane, do you get CO₂ and H₂, or the other way around?

[Alinestra Covelia]

1. Why does cold water make a different noise from hot water when you pour it into a mug?

2. Why do run-down batteries sometimes get an extra "kick" of last-minute energy when you turn off the Walkman for a while?

3. Why do guys have nipples?

4. Why is it that peoples' own bodily odors are less offensive to them than those of others?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
1. Why does cold water make a different noise from hot water when you pour it into a mug?

You mean they actually make noises?

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
2. Why do run-down batteries sometimes get an extra "kick" of last-minute energy when you turn off the Walkman for a while?

Because of the internal capacitance of the batteries let it sort of "store" up electricity.

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
3. Why do guys have nipples?

Same reason why humans have appendices. They are useless, but not on the priorty "to be removed" list.

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
4. Why is it that peoples' own bodily odors are less offensive to them than those of others?

They are accustomed to their own odours.

[alva]

Here's my question:
Which girl from the TV show "Friends" is hotter? Monica (Courtney Cox Arquette) or Rachel (Jennifer Aniston)?


This is an absolutely essential question.

The third one. She's the only one who got more beatifull as the show progressed.

[Narz]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
...
3. Why do guys have nipples?
...

Funny I was just about to ask that when I read your post? Does anyone know the answer?

[alva]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
...
3. Why do guys have nipples?
...

Funny I was just about to ask that when I read your post? Does anyone know the answer?

answer

[Heresson]

Originally posted by DAVOUT


If a reasonnable amount of time elapsed since you raised your request, let say 6 months or so, you can safely consider yourself authorized to post your question, as dangerous as you suspect it to be.

Disclaimer : This only a free advice in which my responsibility is not committed whatever the outcome could be.

Well, I'll try to put it in the most gentle way;
Are there any mouth/toungue condoms?

[Winston]

I've always wondered whether we were right to laugh at our math teacher some 25 years ago. He had a saying in English he sometimes used when we had a problem to solve: "What to do, and what to not to do?"; we laughed and ridiculed him for this, because we were convinced he said it the wrong way, and didn't know his English well.

But... can you say that in English and still make sense, or should it be "What to do, and what not to do", without the extra "to"??

[GeneralTacticus]

The extra "to" shouldn't be there.

[Winston]

Thanks, General T.

One less thing to worry about.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia

...
3. Why do guys have nipples?

...

Just in case we would get pregnant.

Rolls-Royce cars have a crank start handle for similar reasons.

[CyberGnu]

Urban:

Hm, since methane is not soluable in water, it's not acidic?

Classical acidity is a measure of how easily a molecule donates a proton. A strong acid like HCl donates the proton very easily, a molecule like water is somwhat in the middle, and a molecule like methane is pretty much impossible to deprotonate. The reason is the stability of the resulting ion. Chloride ion is a very stable ion, so HCl -> H+ + Cl- is a facile reaction. H2O -> H+ + OH- is also OK. But CH3- is an amazingly unstable ion, so that won't work...

See what I mean?

Water solubility isn't technically connected to acidity, but it does have a huge effect because of solvation of the resulting ions.

Hm, say if you reduce iron oxide with methane, do you get CO2 and H2, or the other way around?

Don't think you can get H2 that way. This is a standard redox reaction:
4FeO + CH4 -> CO2 + 2H2O + 4Fe

Were you thinking of human perspiration, perhaps? The iron in our heme proteins are oxidized by oxygen from 4 Fe(II) to 4 Fe(III), which then reacts with some carbohydrates to yield CO2 and H2O.

You could have be thinking of steam reformation, as well:
CH4 + H2O <=> CO + 3H2
an industrial process, possibly catalyzed by iron...