Air Stripping Factor

Air Stripping Factor

Air Stripping Factor

03/23/26

“How can we quantify the effectiveness of an air stripper at removing contaminants?”

Air stripping towers are a wonder to behold. People will want to select an air stripping tower model based on whatever has the best effectiveness. This is summarized by the Air Stripping Factor, which is proportional to the volumetric air-to-weight ratio multiplied by Henry’s constant. The higher the air stripping factor, the better the tower will perform.

Image credit: https://deltacooling.com/

Activated Carbon

Activated Carbon

Activated Carbon

03/22/26

“How can we use extremely dense carbon to filter water?”

Certain materials are good at filtering water. One of them is Activated Carbon. Activated carbon is hyperdense with tiny pores (often over 3,000 square meters per gram), which can adsorb water contaminants on its interior surface. Activated carbon pores will fill up over time and will need to be cleaned out. 

Image credit: https://www.thoughtco.com/

Sod

Sod

Sod

03/21/26

“How can we create landscapes with pre-grown grass?”

People like to create grassed landscapes. However, grass can take time and resources to develop. So what if we could insert pre-made grass? Well, this is the idea behind Sod, rolls of pre-grown grass. Sod contains grass blades and dirt, with the grass’ root base. People can use sid to stabilize disturbed areas and decelerate the flow of rainwater. 

Air-Fuel Ratio

Air-Fuel Ratio

Air-Fuel Ratio

03/18/26

“What’s so special about the mass of air to fuel in a combustion process?”

Combustion reactions require air and fuel to operate. The quality of the reaction is determined by the ratio of air to fuel mass present, also called the Air-Fuel Ratio. The air-fuel ratio is usually represented by the amount of air compared to fuel. For example, an air-fuel ratio of 8:1 means that for every 8 kg of air, there is 1 kg of fuel.If there is too little air in the ratio, some fuel will not burn. If there’s too much air, then there will not be enough fuel present to burn effectively.

Weight-By-Weight

Weight-By-Weight

Weight-By-Weight

03/17/26

“How can we quantify the percentage of weight that a certain substance takes up in a solution?”

Solutions are made up of more than one substance. Sometimes we want to quantify the mass percentage that one of the substances makes up in the solution. The Weight-By-Weight variable represents this. For example, say a solution is made up of 20 grams of potassium chloride and 80 grams of water for a total 100 g of a substance. The weight-by-weight for potassium chloride is 20%.

Hydroxyl Radicals

Hydroxyl Radicals

Hydroxyl Radicals

03/15/2026

“Why is there a molecule called “the detergent of the atmosphere”?“

Hydroxide ions (OH-), also called Hydroxyl Radicals, are molecules made up of one oxygen atom, one hydrogen atom, and a single unpaired valence electron. This valence electron makes hydroxyl radicals very reactive and potent in neutralizing stable organic chemicals like toxic pollutants. Hydroxyl radicals also readily oxidize troposphere pollutants like methane, carbon dioxide, and VOCs, earning hydroxyl radicals the nickname as “the detergent of the atmosphere”.

Fugacity

Fugacity

Fugacity

03/14/2026

“How can we quantify how much a substance wants to escape from its mixture?”

Different substances have different levels of internal stability. Some very much want to escape their mixture, while others are happy where they are. So how can we quantify this? Well, scientists developed Fugacity theory to explain this phenomenon. Fugacity is defined as the empirically measured vapor pressure rather than the ideal vapor pressure. Chemicals will move between substances like air and water until their fugacity potentials are equal.

Radicals (Chemistry)

Radicals (Chemistry)

Radicals (Chemistry)

03/13/26

“What do we call an atom with at least one unpaired valence electron?”

Chemistry is all about bonds formed between substances. Substances with atoms that have at least one unpaired valence electron are much more reactive. These atoms, called Radicals, are a fundamental part of understanding many parts of chemistry.