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What Are War Bonds

Want to know it — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:16:00 +0000

War bonds was the name given to a saving bond that is purchased from the government treasury during times of war. The idea being that a citizen could place their money into a safe investment whilst helping finance military operations and in their own way help win the war. War bonds had a set interest rate, which was usually lower than what was normally offered, and could be cashed in for the face value plus the interest at a later date. The war bonds cannot usually be cashed in until after the war had ended. The government was able to use this money to finance their involvement in the war.

Often war bonds were sold by calling on the public’s sense of patriotism and conscience. Huge rallies were held that included performances by famous movie stars and speeches by war heroes to encourage people to buy war bonds. War bonds were issued in a variety of denominations in an attempt to bring in as much money as possible. School children were able to buy small stamps with pennies they had saved up whilst wealthy citizens could purchase large war bonds.

War bonds were also used as an economic measure. The idea being that with people invested their money into war bonds rather than spending it in an unstable economy, inflation would be kept at manageable levels. It also meant that once the war was finished the bonds could be cashed which would encourage spending and stimulate the peace time economy into recovery.

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What Are Airbags Made Out Of

Want to know it — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:43:46 +0000

Airbags are a safety device used in most modern vehicles. They are designed to quickly inflate in the event of a crash to prevent the drivers and passengers from colliding with objects inside the car, such as the steering wheel and dashboard. Traditionally airbags were only installed in the steering wheel and passenger dashboard, but modern vehicles may have multiple airbags located in different parts of the vehicle. It is estimated that airbags have saved many lives and prevented many injuries since they have been introduced. Many countries now require or strongly urge that airbags be installed in all modern vehicles.

What are airbags made from?
An airbag is basically a fabric bag that is designed to be strong enough to handle rapid inflation. The most common synthetic fabrics used in airbags are nylon and polyamide. The inflation of this nylon airbag occurs with nitrogen gas. For this to occur, each airbag contains a certain amount of NaN₃, KNO₃ and SiO₂. About 40 milliseconds after a crash, 3 separate reactions take place in the airbag to produce the nitrogen gas and this inflates the bag. After deployment the airbag immediately begins deflating as gas is released through a vent.

The inflation of the airbag is controlled by an airbag control unit (ACU). The ACU monitors sensors in the vehicle and triggers the airbag in a serious crash. They are programmed with a number of settings to ensure they are only deployed when necessary and these programs are a closely guarded secret.

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What are the Three Branches of Government

Want to know it — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:34:20 +0000

The Government in many countries, including the United States of America, is separated into three branches. Each branch is responsible for certain processes and decisions and each of the branches has the same amount of power. Each of these branches has a specific role to play in governing the country and enacting laws and statues.

What are the three branches of government in the United States?
The three branches of government in the United States are the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The responsibility and power that each of these branches has is upheld by the Constitution of the United States and is further defined by the laws passed in the U.S Congress. Below is a brief outline of the three branches of governments and their various roles.

The Legislative
In the United States the U.S Congress is the legislative branch of government. It is bicameral, meaning that it has two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The United States Congress has the power to levy and collect taxes, to coin money and determine its value, establish national organizations and services (such as post offices and transportation), create federal courts to adjudicate criminal and civil matters, declare war, raise and support armies as needed, make rules for the regulation of land, and pass laws that allow for the proper functioning of the U.S Congress.

The Executive
In the United States the executive branch of the government includes the President, Vice President and Secretary of State and selected cabinet members. The President is the Head of State and government and is also the commander-in-chief during war time. The President is to uphold the constitution and ensure that all laws are faithfully executed. The President must sign all laws passed by the U.S Congress and may veto (override) them if necessary. The president is able to sign international treaties, but any decision based on these treaties must be passed through the Congress. The President is able to appoint Supreme Court justices and federal judges and enact executive orders. The Vice President is the head of the senate and can vote to break tied votes. The Vice President is also responsible for counting and reading out the results of the presidential vote. The secretary of state is responsible for U.S foreign policy and dealings.

The Judiciary
The Judiciary branch of the U.S government is the United States Federal courts. They are responsible for interpreting, applying and explaining the law by hearing cases and making decisions based on the law. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the land and had the final say on legal matters. This court is responsible for adjudicating over federal matters and cases which has been appealed. Below this court are the United States Court of Appeals and the United States District courts. Each is responsible for hearing criminal and civil cases in their districts.

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What are the Steps of the Scientific Method

Want to know it — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:16:03 +0000

The scientific method is a series of steps that are recognized as a standardized way to test scientific principles. They have been used and defined over a number of centuries and allow scientists and students to carry out investigations and experiments with the best chance of success. The scientific method was first implemented by well known scientist and philosopher Aristotle. The number of steps in the method varies depending on the scientific understanding that is being tested. The steps also differ slightly depending on whether the idea can be tested or observed.

The steps of the scientific method
The scientific method generally involves six steps. Some include a seventh step in which the process is repeated to answer any questions that arise from the investigation or to thoroughly check the results. The six commonly recognized steps required in the scientific method are:

Step One: Observe and ask a question
Most scientific investigations are born out of an observation. For example, a person may notice oil floats on top of water and does not mix. This causes a person to wonder why this happens. Formulating a question that you want an answer for is the first step in the scientific method.

Step Two: Background research and data collection-
In this step you may research what other people have already discovered about your question. This could include research on the internet and in books as well as further observation of the phenomena you observed.

Step Three: Construct a hypothesis
Using the research and observation in the previous steps it is now time to come up with an answer to the question asked in step one. A hypothesis is defined as an educated guess based on what evidence is available. A hypothesis is usually stated in a particular way such as “If oil is lighter than water then the oil will always float on top of the water and they will stay separated” The hypothesis should be testable and proved right or wrong.

Step Four: Test the hypothesis
A scientific experiment is designed and conducted to try and prove or disprove the hypothesis. It is important in this step to make sure that the experiment conducted is a “fair” test with only one independent variable (one thing that can be changed and manipulated to test the hypothesis). It is also important to conduct the experiment a number of times to check whether the information learnt from the experiment is accurate.

Step Five: Analyze the data and draw a conclusion
In this step the information that has been gained from the experiment and observations is analyzed. The person conducting the experiment looks for correlations in the data that either proves or disprove the stated hypothesis, which allows them to form a conclusion. The next step is only completed if the hypothesis is correct, if not a new hypothesis would be formulated and steps 3 to 5 would be completed again.

Step Six: Communicate the results
The final step allows the person conducting the investigation to share what they have learned with others. This is the point in the process where scientists publish research papers, although students also record their findings by detailing their experiment in writing. By communicating the results it allows others to perform the same experiment and further test the hypothesis.

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What are Hormones

Want to know it — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:19:52 +0000

Hormones are essentially chemicals that transport or send messages from one part of the body to another. Hormones acts are a catalyst for chemical changes that relate to growth, development and energy. They are important in regulating the systems and processes that occur in the body. They are responsible for ensuring that balance and stability, called homeostasis, is maintained in the body.

Hormones are either released by a cell or a gland and alter cell metabolism. Hormones released from cells are called endocrine hormones. These hormones are released directly into the blood stream. Hormones that are released into a gland are called exocrine hormones. These hormones are either released into the blood stream from the gland or are diffused through cell walls to different areas of the body.

There are two types of hormones that operate in the human body, these are steroids and peptides. Steroids are the hormones that a responsible for changes during puberty and are often called the sex hormones. Two of the most common steroids are estrogen and testosterone. Steroid hormones are produced in our adrenal glands and gonads (testicles and ovaries). These hormones are also produced by the placenta in the womb.

Peptide hormones are responsible for regulating functions such as sleep or sugar levels in the body. They are also responsible for growth and development in the body. They are made up of long chains of amino acids similar to proteins.

Hormones are able to affect the metabolism inside a cell by biding to a protein receptor site on the cells surface. Once the hormone has bonded with the cell it passes on its instructions and acts are the catalyst to start specific process in the cell. By doing this hormones are able to maintain the balance in the body.

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What are Polysaccharides

Want to know it — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:47:28 +0000

Polysaccharides are a form of macromolecule that are found in humans, plants, animals and fungi. They are long stands of carbohydrate molecules (glucose) that are bonded together by glycosidic bonds. Polysaccharides usually contain a repeating pattern of the same carbohydrate molecules, and can be both branched and unbranched. Branched polysaccharides are known as amylopectin and consist of thousand of molecules bonded together with many branches. Unbranched polysaccharides are known as amylase and are one long strand of hundreds of molecules.

Structural Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides come in two primary forms, structural molecules or storage molecules. Structural Polysaccharides give stability and rigidity to cells. Cellulose is an example of a structural polysaccharide and is used by plants to give structure to the cell walls. Chitin is also another structural polysaccharide and is the substance that is used to create the exoskeleton of some insects and the shells of crustaceans.

Storage Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides function as the storage unit of energy or glucose for an animal or plant. In humans the storage polysaccharides are called glycogen and in plants they are known as starch. As a molecule of glucose absorbs water it occupies a lot of space in the cell. When glucose is stored as glycogen or starch it does not absorb water and is more tightly packed, which makes it a much more efficient way to store the molecules. Storing glucose in this way allows the body or plant to readily access it when needed and makes sure that the cells do not have too much glucose, which causes raised sugar levels.

The Polysaccharide glycogen is produced by the liver and the muscles in animals. It can also be produced in the brain and stomach. It is stored in the liver and in the muscles. When the body requires quick, instant energy the liver is activated to break down the glycogen into glucose for use in the body. This is done by the release of the hormone glucagon. The glycogen that is stored in muscles is only used by the muscles cells and does not leave the cell. This is to provide quick, instant energy to the muscles in times of need. Glycogen conversion in also triggered by the stress response to allow the fight or flight action need to deal with the situation.

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What Are Chicken Nuggets Made Of

Want to know it — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:36:02 +0000

Chicken nuggets are a meat product that are most commonly baked or fried. They were invented in the 1950′s by food science professor Robert C. Baker. They are especially popular with children and are sold in many fast food restaurants. They are also available in frozen form from the grocery store, as a quick and easy food, for cooking at home. Much controversy has raged about what chicken nuggets are actually made from. Continue reading to find the answer.

What are chicken nuggets made out of
The meat used in chicken nuggets may comes from any poultry product, but in most cases chicken and turkey are used. This meat is obtained through mechanical separation, which recovers the meat and other edible tissue (tendons, muscles tissue, skin) left on the bones after initial processing. To do this the chicken carcasses are ground and then fed through a device similar to a sieve to extract the edible parts and to ensure no unwanted items, such as bones, make it into the chicken nuggets. This meat, called poultry paste, is then used for the chicken nuggets. Some manufacturers add artificial flavors and/or colors to this paste, which is intended to improve the color and flavor. The outside coating of chicken nuggets is made from a batter or breadcrumb mixture that is usually made of wheat flour, salt, yeast, vegetable oil, spices and other flavors.

The following is a video from inside a factory that makes chicken nuggets.

Did you know?
In the United States any product using mechanically separated chicken must be clearly labeled.

An internet rumor suggests that poultry paste is soaked in ammonia to remove the bacteria. However, ammonia cannot legally be added to foods.

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What Are The Doldrums

Want to know it — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:07:08 +0000

The doldrums is a term used by sailors to describe the parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean that have very little or no wind at all. Although this isn’t a major problem for today’s ships, it was a major problem for the sailing ships of the past. Amazingly, sailors could get stuck in the doldrums for weeks at a time waiting for enough wind to power their ship. Let’s take a look at where this phenomenon occurs and what causes it.

Where are the doldrums located?
The doldrums are located just north of the equator, but they can be experienced from around 5 degrees north of the Equator to about 5 degrees south.

What causes the doldrums?
The doldrums are caused by a low pressure area that is located near the equator. This low pressure occurs because of the sunlight that heats the equator. This causes the air to rise high in the atmosphere instead of blowing horizontally.

Did you know?
The region began to be called the doldrums in the 18th century. At the time the word doldrums meant dull, sluggish or listless.

Although it is best known for the long stretches without wind this region is also the starting point for many hurricanes and cyclones.

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What are Baseball Bats Made of

Want to know it — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:03:28 +0000

A baseball bat is used for hitting the ball, that has been thrown by the pitcher, in the game of baseball. The regulations in the American major leagues state that the bat must not exceed 2.75 inches (7 cm) in diameter at any point and that it must be no more that 42 inches (106.7 cm) in length. The weight of the bat in not restricted, but they usually don’t weight more than 33 ounces (1 kg). If you have ever wanted to know what a baseball bat is made from, keep reading to find out.

What are baseball bats made of?
The rules of professional baseball state that the bat must be one piece of solid wood. The wood that is traditionally used for the construction of a baseball bat is ash. Recently, bats made from maple have made an appearance in the major leagues. They have become popular because maple is a harder wood than ash. However, the use of maple bats is controversial because they are prone to splintering. Other woods that are sometimes used to make baseball bats are hickory wood, and bamboo.

In amateur baseball both wood and metal bats are generally permitted. Metal bats may be made out of aluminum or as a composite of an aluminum outer shell and a graphite interior. These types of bats are popular because they are lighter to use and increase the hitting distance. Many youth baseball leagues use this type of bat.

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What are Balloons Made of

Want to know it — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:30:43 +0000

Balloons are a popular decoration at almost any kind of party. They come in many shapes, colors and sizes. They can be filled with air, but helium is also widely used to make them float. They are best known for the loud noise they make when they pop and many children are frightened of this noise. In the past balloons were made of dried animal bladders, but have you have ever wondered what a party balloon is made from today? Keep reading to discover the answer.

What are balloons made of?
Most party balloons are made of natural latex which comes from the rubber tree. This is highly regarded because it is a sustainable and biodegradable material. Synthetic latex is also used in some circumstances because it is cost effective, but this is not biodegradable. The shiny balloons that are often decorated with writing are made from metalized plastic films. These are called foil balloons. Other materials that are sometimes used to make balloons are neoprene and nylon.

Did you know?
We all know that balloons make a loud sound when they pop, but it isn’t from the sudden release of pressure like most people believe. It is actually caused by the tightly stretched latex pieces snapping back at the speed of sound. The sound is actually a sonic boom, just like a fighter jet produces.

Releasing balloons that contain helium is a popular part of many different events, but because latex does take time to break down in the environment this is no longer recommended.

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