A membrane is a barrier that prevents entry of materials. Membranes can be permeable, which allows certain materials to go in and out of the barrier based on a variety of factors. Permeable Membrane in Biology In biology, a simple example of a permeable membrane is a cell wall. In both plant and animal cells, the cell wall is a permeable membrane that allows the passage of particular substances while preventing others. This is known as semi-permeability. Semi-permeability is found in plant and animal cells. The passage of substances is Read More

Teleportation refers to instantaneous transport of an object or matter from one place to a predetermined location. In this mode of travel, the object or matter being transported is broken down and immediately recreated somewhere else. In quantum teleportation, which is the favored teleportation type in laboratories, the properties of the origin quantum system are recreated in the destination quantum system even if the two quantum systems do not have physical contact. Most people, however, hold to the belief that teleportation will forever remain fiction, with the more knowledgeable pointing Read More

Stars form within clouds of dust that are scattered around the galaxies of our Universe. In essence, a star is dust that is pulled toward a central point of gravity and, when this happens, begins to heat up. The formation of a star results in something like our own Sun which took 50 million years to turn into what it is today. And, our Sun will last another five billion years–or ten billion years in total from the formation of the Universe. Within these clouds of dust there is a Read More

Hydronic air handlers have become a popular installation for home owners who build a new home or are replacing the HVAC system in an existing one. A hydronic air handler is significantly more fuel efficient, runs quieter, and produces more comfortable heating than a traditional furnace. It does this by providing uniformly heated air, thereby avoiding the hot, nasty blasts of hot air experienced with traditional heating systems. How Does a Hydronic Air Handler Work? To heat air, a hydronic water heater uses either a hot water heater or boiler Read More

Spread spectrum clocking is a technique used in synchronous digital devices that limits the amount of electromagnetic interference or EMI that the device causes. Since synchronous digital devices often generate interference levels that are not compliant with regulations that the FCC and other agencies set, spread spectrum clocking is an essential component of most small electronics. How Spread Spectrum Clocking Works Spread spectrum clocking works by distributing the bandwidth of electronic devices across many different frequencies simultaneously rather than allowing the device to emit EMI on any single frequency. Spread Read More

An asteroid is a large chunk of matter made up of rock and/or metal that is either found within the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter or orbiting the solar system. They can range in size from the size of a particle of dust to many miles across; therefore, there are many different ways to classify an asteroid. However, when it comes to what their made of, there are only three ways to classify them and group them together. The first way which is the first material that they're made Read More

Timekeeping devices usually contain or are connected to a machine that swings back and forth or oscillates at a constant rate to control the movement of hands or the rate of change of digits. Mechanical or analog clocks use balance wheels, pendulums and tuning forks as well as quartz crystals as their oscillating machinery for time measurement. Atomic clocks operate in much the same way – except that they use the frequency of the oscillation of atoms or molecules to measure time – thus the name 'atomic clocks'. How an Read More

As society is trying to slowly ween itself off of oil-dependency, the search for alternative fuels continues. One source of alternative "fuel" that already exists, however, is the electric motor. Electric motors are commonly found in vehicles, toys, and other electronic devices but there is still a campaign to improve the quality and efficiency of the electric motor through innovative contributions. Before the electric motor can be improved, though, people must learn how electric motors work. This article will explain what electric motors do and define the parts that make Read More

Isomers are compounds with the same molecular, but different structural formulas. Isobutane is an isomer of butane. It belongs to a class of compounds called alkanes, which are chains of carbon atoms where each carbon atom is attached to as many hydrogen atoms as possible.  Its chemical formula is C4H10. Butane consists of four carbon atoms. With four such atoms, it is possible to link the atoms in two completely different ways. The first way, where all the four atoms are linked in a row, is referred to as Butane. Read More

Subatomic particles are the most elementary particles found in nature. The three basic subatomic particles that comprise an atom are protons, electrons, and neutrons. The historical definition of a subatomic particle was expanded over the past several decades to include elementary particles that are less complex than an atom and cannot be broken down further. The modern definition of subatomic particles breaks all of them down into either leptons or quarks. Subatomic Particles that Make up an Atom Electron The electron was the first subatomic particle discovered in 1896. U.K. Read More