An Atom bomb releases energy generated by the breaking apart of plutonium or uranium nuclei. A hydrogen bomb release energy created when atoms of an isotope of hydrogen are brought together. It takes an atom bomb, to create the conditions to operate a hydrogen bomb so a fission device is installed to trigger a fusion, or thermonuclear, explosion, duplicating conditions …
Read More »What is the difference between alligators and crocodiles?
The crocodiles, alligators, caimans and the gavial make up a group of about twenty reptiles. They all have the same basic appearance and, like the turtles and terrapins, they are all amphibious. The alligator differs from the crocodile in having shorter and broader snout although there is yet another, more definite difference. In both animals the fourth tooth of the …
Read More »What is the difference between a star and a planet?
Stars are hot bodies that give out light of their own, whereas planets shine only by reflecting light. Stars are composed of gas, but planets can be either gaseous or solid. The earth is a solid planet. Jupiter is a gaseous one. Nine planets orbit the Sun. In order of distance from the Sun, the are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, …
Read More »What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?
In 1893 the United States Supreme Court tried to clarify the differences between a fruit and a vegetable by saying that vegetables are eaten as part of the main course of a meal, but fruit is eaten as an appetizer or dessert, or for a snack. But as with so many words, there is one definition, which is correct according …
Read More »What is the difference between a computer screen and a gaming console?
The primary device for the PC is a keyboard and mouse, while all console systems come with game pads used to control movement within the game. Technically, a computer game can be thought of as one composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe. A video game is a computer game where a video display is the primary feedback, which is displayed …
Read More »What is the Delta Triangle?
The Delta Triangle is an imaginary uninhabited sector of the Milky Way galaxy that finds a mention in the series/ film ‘Star Trek’, with a lot of similarities with the infamous Bermuda Triangle on Earth. Like the Bermuda Triangle, the Delta Triangle also has the unusual ability to cause star ship sensors fluctuate in a state of chaos while within …
Read More »What is the concept of a time machine? How does it work?
To locate an object in a plane, we require four dimensions — length, breadth, height and time. We all travel frequently in the first three dimensions, but can’t do it in the fourth dimension `time’. Time machine is a device or vehicle that can potentially take us into the future or past and let us stay in that era, just …
Read More »What is the colours of Light?
A beam of light seems to have no colour. Actually, it is made up of coloured rays. Usually, these coloured rays combine to form the white light. But it is possible to see the different colours at certain times. For instance, when it rains and the sun’s rays pass through raindrops. Since the raindrop has many sides or surfaces, the …
Read More »What is the chemical composition of ivory?
Ivory tusks and teeth consist of an inner pulp cavity surrounded by dentine – a combination of connective tissues that have minerals and collagen properties. Found in tusks of elephants and teeth of mammals such as the hippopotamus, walrus, boar, sperm and killer whale, ivory forms layers. It gets strength and rigidity from inorganic components, namely mineralised tissues. The organic …
Read More »What is the Buffon’s needle problem?
In mathematics, Buffon’s needle problem is a question first posed in the 18th century by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon: Suppose we have a floor made of parallel strips of wood, each the same width, and we drop a needle onto the floor. What is the probability that the needle will lie across a line between two strips? Buffon’s needle …
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