Schrodinger's Cat

Greetings! I am Cat. I enjoy posting about quantum physics, astrophysics, chemistry, and mathematics. My favorite element is either bromine or actinium. When not reading about physics or experimenting with new chemical compounds, I bake. For example, I wanted to make a "Yellow cake" for my birthday. What is time? I have strived to find an answer to this question, but it progressively becomes more difficult. Is it the expansion of the universe each nanosecond, or is it just an illusion?

[improbablekat]

Total Lunar Eclipse

Keep your eyes out for the total lunar eclipse next Wednesday, May 26th. Also a super flower blood moon!

[improbablekat]

Bromine v. Chlorine

Which is better for disinfecting pools? Bromine or Chlorine? The answer to the age-old question has a lot of components. It really depends on pool type, climate, and humidity levels. For example, Bromine works better in heat, so bromine tablets would be the best for Florida. Chlorine is very widespread, and works well everywhere. 

[improbablekat]

Travelling Light

A photon checks into a hotel. The bellhop comes to take luggage, but the photon says “I don’t have any luggage. I’m travelling light!” 

[improbablekat]

The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

[improbablekat]

Sodium Cyanide (NaCN)

Sodium Cyanide is one of the weakest forms of the well-known compound cyanide. When dissolved in water, it produces a gas called Hydrogen Cyanide, which is one of the most toxic forms. However, if you are only slightly exposed (Less than 30 ppm) it cannot harm you. Although, I would not recommend being exposed to this compound!

[improbablekat]

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.

Carl Sagan

[improbablekat]

Super Fast Chip

A person comes to you claiming that he/she has invented a microchip 1 cm square in size which can run at a clock speed of 300,000 GHz. Would you invest in this person's company so that he/she can manufacture and market his/her new invention? Explain your answer. (The speed of light c=3 × 108m/sec. 300,000 GHz = 3 × 1014/sec.)

Answer: DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY. A signal wouldn’t be able to travel from one end of the chip to another during one clock cycle. This chip is highly unlikely to function properly. Smells fishy! 

Source: Virginia Tech College of Science- Tatsu Takeuchi practice problems. 

*I do not go to Virginia Tech, but I found their practice problems quite interesting!* 

Link: http://www1.phys.vt.edu/~takeuchi/relativity/practice/solution01.html

[improbablekat]

Manganese Heptoxide

Manganese Heptoxide is a very reactive chemical compound composed of potassium permanganate and sulphuric acid. It reacts with acetone by instantaneously combusting.