Blowing (Up) Hydrogen Bubbles
A dramatic demonstration -- with exclusive video! -- of why the same gas that heats your house can also make it explode
By Theodore Gray
Living in the Midwest, where heating homes with propane is common, I periodically see reports in the local paper that yet another unoccupied house has exploded. They often note that the roof was found in the basement, while the walls were spread some distance into the neighboring fields.
To see the video and read more click Blowing (Up) Hydrogen Bubbles.
Making Glass in a Grill [With Video!]
The author creates an ornament—using his barbecue
By Theodore Gray
All the components of glass can be found in two places: the beach and the laundry room. It’s possible to melt pure white-silica beach sand into glass, but only at temperatures of 3,000 to 3,500°F. Washing soda, lime or borax (a traditional laundry aid) added to the sand disrupts the quartz-crystal structure of silica and reduces the required temperature to a more practical, though still dangerous, 2,000°F, which I achieved with a backyard grill and a vacuum cleaner. Glass is thought to have been discovered around 7,000 years ago by Phoenician merchants when cooking fires were built over sand that, by chance, had some of these substances mixed in.
To see the video and read more click Making Glass in a Grill.
Abby Wit & Wisdom
- It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.
- A fellow who is always declaring he’s no fool usually has his suspicions.
- Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.
DogMatch.com
I am not sold on using DogMatch.com. I put in my profile and pushed the search button and this is what I got. Hope you have better luck.
Abby