21.3.07

Just Water Eh?

Such turbulent behavior has engaged scientists for centuries, and artists as well; Leonardo da Vinci loved to draw the characteristic eddies of moving water. The great eighteenth-century Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler analyzed fluid motion, but omitted the effects of friction. Unfor-tunately, when Euler used his equation to design a fountain for Frederick the Great, it failed to work. Now we know the correct equation, but it is brutally difficult to solve, and it leaves unanswered the central question: how does deterministic laminar flow break into random whorls? This commonplace effect that we experience daily is a great unsolved problem of classical physics, in some ways as challenging as quantum mechanics.

http://www.emory.edu/ACAD_EXCHANGE/2006/aprmay/perkowitz.html

Sura Al Nur, The Light:

Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hands, he can hardly see it! for any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

Sura Al Baqra, The Cow

Thenceforth were your hearts hardened: They became like a rock andeven worse in hardness. For among rocks there are some from whichrivers gush forth; others there are which when split asunder sendforth water; and others which sink for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.

Deuterium is a stable isotope of hydrogen, meaning that it is not radioactive and has a very long life span. Deuterium is still the same element as hydrogen but it has one neutron making it twice as heavy as protium. Deuterium was discovered by Harold Urey, in 1932. Deuterium was the first isotope to be separated from its element in pure form. It is believed that deuterium was created during the initial phase of the big bang. A free neutron will decay in ten minutes unless it interacts with a proton to form a nucleus of a deuterium atom. Most of these deuterium atoms combined to form helium but a few extra were left over and remained deuterium.
When two deuterium ions bond with one oxygen ion, deuterium oxide, heavy water, is formed. It looks the same as and tastes similar to regular water, but some of it's characteristics are different. Heavy water is different from regular water in physical properties. Heavy water boils at 101.41 degrees Celsius and freezes at 3.79 degrees Celsius. The heat capacity, heat of fusion, heat of vaporization, and entropy of deuterium oxide are all higher than the values for water. Heavy water is also more viscous than water is. Deuterium oxide is not as good of a solvent as water is either. Deuterium will form stronger bonds than hydrogen will.
Approximately one of every six thousand drops of water is actually deuterium oxide. The overall deuterium to hydrogen ratio on earth is 1:6600.

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