Category Science & Technology

How does a gyroscope stand up?

 

               A gyroscope is a heavy metal wheel made with ball bearings that reduce friction. Once the wheel is set spinning at high speed in an upright position, the force of gravity will try to topple it. However, the effects of gravity are countered by another force called precession. This force means that a spinning body tends to move at right angles to any force that tries to change its direction of rotation. The effect is to keep the gyroscope in the same position until it has slowed down so much that gravity overcomes precession.

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How do nuclear power stations work?

 

               Once nuclear fission takes place inside a nuclear reactor, the chain reaction has to be controlled, or moderated. The reactor’s core of uranium is surrounded with a substance that slows down and absorbs the escaping neutrons. The moderating material becomes heated. In a nuclear power station, steam generated by this heat is used to drive the turbines to produce electricity.

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How is nuclear energy produced?

               Nuclear energy is produced by changes in the nucleus of the atom of a radioactive element such as uranium or plutonium. This process is called nuclear fission. The nucleus is split by bombarding the atom with a neutron particle. Each time the uranium atom is split in this way, it releases energy. It also produces three more neutrons, which then go on to split other uranium atoms. This is called a chain reaction because, once started, it will continue the process of nuclear fission while releasing very large amounts of energy.

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How does radar work?

 

               Radar works by sending out a beam of high- frequency radio waves, which are reflected back when they strike a solid object. The radio waves can also be reflected by clouds or other weather features. The reflected waves are collected and used to produce an image. Usually the radar beam is emitted from a rotating scanner, so a complete 360° image is produced. Radar is important in the navigation of ships, aircraft, and weather forecasting.

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What are silicon chips?

               

               A silicon chip is a tiny wafer of silicon (a semiconductor) on which a complete electronic device can be produced. An image is produced photographically and etched onto the chip, but it differs from a printed circuit in some important ways. The chip is often microscopically small and contains huge amounts of ‘wiring’. More importantly, part of the process allows other devices to be produced in the manufacturing process, such as tiny resistors and capacitors. So a silicon chip, or integrated circuit, which measures just a few millimeters across, is a complete electronic device.

Picture credit: google