Lunation is the average time for one lunar cycle or the moon’s synodic period. As the Moon orbits the Earth, while the Earth orbits the sun, the Moon exhibits different lunar phases. The amount of light reflected to the sun is relative to the position of the Sun, Earth and Moon.
A magnetometer is the instrument that scientists use in order to measure the direction and/or strength of the magnetic field within the scope of the instrument. Magnetism differs from one place to another so it is important to measure how strong the magnetic field is in a specific location in the Earth’s magnetic field or
Ever heard of the refrigerator manufacturer Kelvinator? Ever wondered why it was named so? It’s because of the unit of thermodynamic temperature called the Kelvin. Unless you’re a science major or have eidetic memory and remember everything you’ve been taught in school, you may only be familiar with Celsius and Fahrenheit. But the Kelvin is
In everyday conversation, most people usually use the words mass and weight interchangeably. In common usage, both mass and weight may be expressed in kilograms. For example, a person may say that his weight or mass is 75 kg. Although both properties of matter, mass and weight are two different terms and each has its
Determining precise positions on Earth requires the use of three basic geographic parameters: latitude, longitude and elevation. These parameters are not very easy to determine and require accurate measurement procedures and state-of-the-art equipments.
A magnetosphere is created through the interaction between a planet’s magnetic field and a stream of charged particles. For example, when the solar wind interacts with Earth’s intrinsic magnetic field, the stream of charged particles from the solar wind will be deflected by the planets own magnetic field. This results to what scientists call a
It was in 1913 when a radio-chemist named Frederick Soddy first suggested the existence of isotopes. He noticed that the periodic table of elements only allowed for 11 elements ranging from uranium to lead. However, several types of atoms which differ in radioactive properties can still occupy the same place in the table.
