How were the elements made? What explains the relative abundance of each element in our solar system? Below you will find a very simplified overview of nucleosynthesis, the process by which elements are formed in the burning hearts of stars. For additional information, start here. Read more
Nucleosynthesis: the births of the elements
Cortney Science & Technology + astronomy, nucleosynthesis, space, stars
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Chemistry lesson: calcium carbonate solubility
Cortney Random + aragonite, calcite, chemistry, limestone
The big equations:
CaCO3 ⇌ Ca2+ + CO32-
CaCO3 (s) + H2CO3 (aq) ⇌ Ca2+ (aq) + 2HCO3- (aq) Read more →
Easy Science: How sinkholes form
Cortney Science & Technology + Easy Science, geology, limestone, sinkholes
Sinkholes can form anywhere that the bedrock dissolves away beneath the soil, but classic sinkholes tend to form in limestone, a carbonate rock composed primarily of the minerals calcite (CaCO3), aragonite (CaCO3), and dolomite (CaMg[CO3]2). Worldwide, limestones cover about 15% of land surface. Twenty percent of the US is susceptible to sinkholes. Read more →
Volcanic lightning turns ash into glass
Cortney Science & Technology + ash, earth magazine, eruptions, geology, volcanoes
Within the ash plumes of explosive volcanic eruptions, collisions among countless pyroclastic particles sometimes lead to the buildup of static charges that discharge dramatically as volcanic lightning. In a new study, researchers have found that this lightning can, in turn, melt and fuse ash particles into distinctive glassy grains called spherules. Identifying and studying these spherules could help scientists better understand past and future eruptions, the study’s authors suggest. Read more →