How many times do you blink in a minute? Weird, who knows! Well, mostly people blink around 15 times a minute. Blinking is an involuntary action that protects the eye. Most of our eye is enclosed in a bony socket covered with a layer of fat, which forms a protective cover. But when the eyes are open, one-tenth of the …
Read More »Why do we blink when a hammer strikes metal?
Blinking, apart from cleaning and lubricating the soft tissues of eyes, also serves as a protective way of keeping things away from entering the eyes, by lowering the eyelids and lashes for protection. Blinking is a reflex action and happens automatically, as soon as the brain perceives a threat. The striking of hammer is taken as a threat by the …
Read More »Why do the Nilgiris appear blue from a distance?
Not only the Nilgiris, but almost all mountains appear blue from a distance. This is due to a phenomenon known as the Rayleigh Scattering Effect. The light from the sun, due to which we see the mountains, is scattered by atmospheric molecules. The electric field of the incident sunlight oscillates the electrons in these molecules which, in turn, radiate light. …
Read More »Why Do Stars Twinkle?
Watching stars on a moonless night can be an quite an interesting experience. As clusters of stars take familiar forms – of a bear, a man in armor wielding a sword, millions of other stars simply twinkle. As if they were playing hide and seek with one’s eyes. Why do stars twinkle? We all know that each star is actually …
Read More »Why do some trees lose their leaves in winter?
Some trees with broad-bladed leaves lose their leaves in the winter because the trees has a rest period during the cold weather, and the leaves are not needed for the production of food. These trees are called deciduous trees-from the Latin decidere which means to fall. They drop their leaves in temperate or cold climates, but remain evergreen in the …
Read More »Why do some people walk and talk in their sleep?
Our mind controls our actions and movement; yet while there are acts we are aware of doing, there are others performed without our knowledge. We breathe, walk, sit, stand and so on without really being aware of doing so, because these acts are so natural that we do not have to think about them. Sometimes it happens that some of …
Read More »Why do Some People snore More than Others?
If you ever slept in a room with an uncle or an aunt who snores, you would know how annoying it can be. The person causing all the noise sleeps like a log, while the room partner spends the night tossing and turning; waking up bleary-eyed the next morning. Did you know that snoring is a common ailment all over …
Read More »Why do some people have their appendix removed?
The appendix is a small extension of a large intestine that has no function at all. But if it becomes damaged or infected it gets inflamed, and causes excruciating pain. If this happens it should be removed by a surgeon.
Read More »Why do some liquid burn?
Some liquids will burn because when their molecules mix with the oxygen in the air the mixture becomes combustible. The application of heat promotes the necessary chemical reaction to put the molecules into more violent motion, so that they collide at high speed. The jolt loosens the bonds and makes it easier for the molecules to rearrange themselves and escape …
Read More »Why do some acids burn?
Some acids burn because they have a strong tendency to absorb water, giving out a great deal of heat in the process. Since most living cells contain water the strong acids, react with them and kill the cells, causing very serious burns. These three acids, as well as others such as perchloric acid and benzine sulphuric acid are called mineral …
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