Difference Between Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions
Posted by in Science on July 7, 2011
Whenever a chemical reaction takes place, it is followed by a transfer of energy, at times to and sometimes from the environment. This can also sometimes happen in the form of alterations in temperature. In an exothermic reaction, surplus amount of energy is released as heat after the completion of the reaction. And in an endothermic reaction, the chemical reaction results in the absorption of the heat energy.
The exothermic reactions may take place quite suddenly; and it can also be utilized under restricted situations to create explosions. On the other hand, the endothermic reactions are the ones where energy is utilized for the reactions to take place is not enough and hence, heat is absorbed to compensate for this deficiency. Now that we have the basic idea about the differences between exothermic and endothermic reactions, we can go further to illustrate this with the help of examples.
Examples for exothermic reactions:
These are the kind of chemical reactions that results in energy release on their completion. This implies that the reactants involve much more energy than the product itself; and this excess energy is discharged in the form of heat energy. Some examples: The most basic illustration of exothermic reaction is when you light a match stick, and it burns to release heat to the surrounding area. The rusting of iron is yet another popular example of exothermic reaction.
The neutralization reactions are mostly exothermic in nature. This is the type of reaction that occurs between a base and an acid, to form water and salt. When hydrochloric acid is mixed with sodium hydroxide, the resulting solution is a blend of sodium chloride and water, along with rise in temperature. Read the rest of this entry »
2012 Solar Flares – How Will This Event Affect Life On Earth?
Posted by in Science on July 7, 2011
Even if you don’t know what a solar flare actually is, the sound of it alone brings about fear. Solar flares can cause major disruptions in our atmosphere and bring about catastrophic damages. As scientists look into this event taking place they have come to evidence that states, in 2012 the sun will produce massive solar flares that will enter our atmosphere and cause devastating effects.
A lot of people probably do not know exactly what a solar flare is and how it can affect our atmosphere. In short, a solar flare, which is also called a solar storm, is a radiation wave that is sent from the sun due to explosions on the sun’s surface. This wave of radiation then travels outwards effecting anything that it comes in contact with.
Past Events
In the past we have felt effects from these solar storms. One example puts us in the time of 1859 when these storms interfered with our communication technologies. When this event took place we were using telegraph systems for all major communications and due to these storms entering our atmosphere many of these systems were disrupted and communications were disabled across the world. These were not the only effects felt from this minor solar storm as many wildfires across the world were also produced by this event.
How Can This Affect Us Today
As you know we have made tremendous advances in our technologies compared to where we were 100 years ago. Even though we have made such technological advances we also have expose ourselves to massive damages in the event that these technologies were to become disrupted. It is commonly known that we have thousands of satellites orbiting Earth that provide us with all types of essential information that we rely on for everyday activities.
Many scientific studies have concluded that major solar flare activities are predicted to occur in the year 2012. If these systems were to be disrupted by these 2012 solar flares then every electronic device on earth will be disabled. Without these devices all communications will be disabled and all control will be lost. In the event that this happens there will be no more governments due to loss of control and the world will be under total anarchy. This event will definitely bring about the end of the world as we know it and we will have no chance of rebuilding. Read the rest of this entry »