"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Terminal Settling Velocity
04/08/26
“How do objects reach their maximum velocity while settling in a fluid?”
Solid objects denser than a fluid will settle in them. Just like with terminal air velocity, objects in liquid fluids will reach a Terminal Settling Velocity when the drag force opposing their motion equals their weight dragging them down.
Flamability Range
04/07/26
“How is there a range of flammability in vaporous concentrations?”
Certain vaporous substances can cause combustion. However, these will need to be present in a certain Flamability Range above a minimum value and below a maximum. Safety regulations may require buildings to implement measures to reduce substances below the flammability range.
Lower Flammability Limit
04/06/26
“What is the lowest concentration of a fuel to be present for ignition?”
Fuels can combust within a certain range of concentration. The lower end of the concentration, where there is just enough fuel, is known as the Lower Flammability Limit. The lower flammability limit is affected by the surrounding temperature and pressure.
Supercritical Flow
04/04/26
“What are the special properties of water flow that’s fast and shallow?”
Water flow can come in all shapes, sizes, and speeds. Water flow that’s fast and shallow, and whose internal forces affect movement more than gravity, is classified as Supercritical Flow. Supercritical flow is fast and powerful and can resist downstream changes. Consequently, critical flow is more affected by upstream than downstream elements.
Effective Half-Life
04/03/26
“How long does it take for a radeonucleotide to diminish to half of its mass in a biological organism?”
Organisms may consume radionucleotides. The radionucleotide will lose mass to both radioactive decay and biological absorption. We can find the Effective Half-Life of the radionucleotide through the equation 1/(half-life_effective) = 1/(half-life_radiation) + 1/(half-life_biological).
Geotextiles
04/02/26
“How can we use synthetic fabrics to improve soil behavior?”
Soils often need interventions to make them perform well. One way is to implement synthetic, permeable fabrics called Geotextiles into the soil. Geotextiles can aid in separation (preventing mixing of different soil layers), filtration (allowing water to pass through while holding soil particles back), drainage (soil dewatering), reinforcement (adding strength and stability to geotextiles), and protection (protecting soils from external damage).
Image credit: https://www.kakwastone.com/
BOD Deoxygenization Rate
03/31/26
“How can we measure the rate at which microorganisms consume oxygen to remove organic matter?”
Microorganisms use oxygen to remove organic matter. The BOD Deoxygenization Rate, or the rate at which microorganisms use oxygen to remove organic matter, is proportional to the amount of BOD remaining. This is important for understanding if a wastewater body is going to become oxygen-deprived.
Subcritical Flow
03/30/26
“What are the special properties of slow-moving, tranquil flows in channels?”
Slow-moving, tranquil flows in channels may seem simple. But if you dig deeper, you will find it more interesting. These flows, known as Subcritical Flows, are typically deep and dominated by gravity. The slow-moving and gravity-centric flow can be greatly affected by downstream elements like dams because it does not have enough momentum to overcome such heavy changes.
Dimensionless Henry’s Law Constant
03/29/26
“How can we quantify whether a substance is likely to stay in water or escape as water?”
Some substances escape from water solutions quickly, like volatile organic compounds, while others stay contentedly in water. We can find this out by taking the ratio of the concentration in vapor to the concentration in water, represented by the Dimensionless Henry’s Law Constant. The dimensionless Henry’s Law constant is equal to the regular Henry’s Law Coefficient divided by the universal gas constant and the temperature.
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