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Titanium

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Titanium

Titanium is one of those elements we all take for granted.

  • Titanium is a chemical element and metal, denoted by the atomic symbol ‘Ti’ and the atomic number 22.
  • Titanium is of a white to silver or grey colour and is shiny and metallic in appearance.
  • Titanium occurs naturally in mineral deposits, sediment, and rocks, especially igneous rocks, and is commonly retrieved from ilmenite, anatase, and rutile, and can be found in stars, meteorites, and living forms, including animals and plants, as well as water.
  • It is notable that titanium is very lightweight in comparison to its durability and strength, however if heated to above 430°C (806°F), it will weaken, and at 1668°C (3034.4°F), it will melt.
  • A variety of other metals can be alloyed with titanium to viably increase strength with little weight increase, making the metal very versatile.
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Titanium Crystal Bar
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • Typically, titanium is extracted into a sponge-like form, which is them melted and fabricated into a usable resource.
  • The majority of titanium that is collected is used to produce titanium dioxide, which provides the white colour in many plastics, paper, paints and toothpaste; while the metal is sometimes used to strengthen sporting equipment, and it is also used in some forms of jewellery, automobiles, aircraft, watercraft and spacecraft, electronic devices, propellers for water use and missiles, among others.
  • Titanium has a high resistance against corrosion in both the air and water, though small particles of the metal are highly combustible, and when exposed to air, or the particles form a cloud of dust, they can spontaneously combust; and the metal also reacts easily to chlorine gas, liquid oxygen and heat, sometimes causing the chemical to explode.
  • Titanium was discovered by Englishman William Gregor, an amateur mineralogist, who discovered a strange sand with magnetic properties in 1791, which on analysis, was made of iron oxide and what was later determined as titanium oxide.
  • ‘Titanium’ is named after the twelve giant sons of Gaia and Uranus, the Greek mythology deities of earth and sky respectively, who were called ‘Titans’ and were renown for their strength.
Bibliography:
The Element Titanium, n.d, Jefferson Lab, http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele022.html
Titanium, 2016, Los Alamos National Laboratory, http://periodic.lanl.gov/22.shtml
Titanium, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium

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Gooseberry

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Gooseberry

These gooseberry facts certainly won’t lead you on a wild goose chase!

  • Gooseberries are a type of edible fruit related to currants, and they are native to Africa, Europe, and North America.
  • There are two main species of gooseberry that are grown – the European with the scientific name Ribes uva-crispa (sometimes called Ribes grossularia), and the American, that has the scientific name Ribes hirtellum, both of which are from the family Grossulariaceae, a family of flowering and edible currants.
  • American gooseberries are generally smaller but less susceptible to fruit-damaging mildew than the European varieties, that are generally bigger and have more flavour, though the two species have been bred together to improve outcomes, and numerous varieties have been produced.
  • Gooseberries typically grow on a thorny bush, that reaches approximately 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height.
  • A gooseberry is often a green colour with light coloured stripes, but it can be red, yellow, purple, black and white, depending on the species and variety, and it usually contains many small edible seeds in the flesh of the fruit.
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Gooseberries
Image courtesy of fsse8info/Flickr
  • Gooseberries are commonly eaten fresh; but they can also be cooked in pies, crumbles and other desserts; into a sauce; in jam; and used to flavour beverages.
  • When picked fully ripe, gooseberries can be quite sweet, and when they are picked prematurely they are usually somewhat tart, however, they are often picked early for commercial purposes, as the unripe fruit has greater storage times, and sour fruit are commonly used in cooking.
  • Gooseberries were of great popularity around the 1800s and early 1900s, especially in Britain, though in the United States of America, a fungal bacteria carried by the plant had begun infesting native pines, so many states initiated bans on the cultivation of the berry.
  • A gooseberry is usually ovoid or spherical in shape, generally ranging from 1 to 2.5 centimetres (0.5 to 1 inch) or more in length or diameter.
  • Gooseberries are very high in vitamin C, high in fibre and a good source of manganese, potassium and vitamin A.
Bibliography:
Gooseberries and Currants, 2015, Cornell University, http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/mfruit/gooseberries.html
Gooseberry, 1996, California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc., https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/gooseberry.html
Gooseberry, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooseberry
What Are Gooseberries Good For?, 2016, Food Facts, http://foodfacts.mercola.com/gooseberries.html

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Bengal Tiger

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Bengal Tiger

Bengal tigers are in common in the world of tigers!

  • Bengal tigers are the most abundant subspecies of tiger alive and they are found in the Asian countries of Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
  • ‘Bengal tigers’ are also known as ‘royal Bengal tigers’ and ‘Indian tigers’, and they live mostly alone and occupy mangrove areas, forests and jungles.
  • The scientific name of a Bengal tiger is Panthera tigris tigris, and it is from the family Felidae, the family of cats.
  • Bengal tigers generally range from 2
    .4 to 3.3 metres (7.9 to 11 feet) in length, and they can weigh between 75 to 300 kilograms (165 to 661 pounds) or more.
  • The pelt of Bengal tigers is an orange to yellow colour striped with black, while the underside and some areas of the face and limbs are coloured white with black stripes.
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Bengal Tiger
Image courtesy of Paul Mannix/Flickr
  • The diet of Bengal tigers consists primarily of small to medium sized mammals, including wild boars, buffalo, deer and hares.
  • Despite the animal numbers of the Bengal tiger being the greatest among tigers, it is classified as an endangered species due to extensive poaching for its fur and other body components (often used in traditional medicine), and habitat loss which also decreases numbers of prey.
  • Female Bengal tigers have litters that range from one to five cubs, every three or four years, as the young remain dependent for at least 18 months; and they can have a lifespan of 18 to 25 years.
  • The speed of a Bengal tiger can reach 65 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour); and its only predators are humans.
  • In 2010, approximately 2000 to 2500 Bengal tigers populated the wild, with the highest population concentrated in India; and in recent years, there has been significant government effort, especially in India, to protect and increase tiger numbers.
Bibliography:
Bengal Tower, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bengal-tiger/
Bengal Tiger, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_tiger
Bengal Tiger, 2016, World Wildlife Fund, http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger

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Maungawhau

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Maungawhau

Maungawhau cannot stop the grass from growing green.

  • Maungawhau is a dormant volcano found in the city of Auckland, New Zealand and it is a cinder cone with a deep crater.
  • ‘Maungawhau’ is officially called ‘Maungawhau-Mt Eden’, and it is also known as ‘Mt Eden Crater’, ‘Mount Eden’, ‘Mount Eden Volcano’, and ‘Eden Crater’.
  • Maungawhau is easily accessible from the centre of Auckland and the summit gives 360 degree views across the city, and as such, approximately 1.2 million people visit the site annually.
  • Maungawhau reaches an elevation of 196 metres (643 feet) above sea level, making it the tallest volcano in Auckland; and from the car park, it usually takes five to ten minutes to walk to the summit.
  • ‘Maungawhau’ is a word from the native Maori language meaning ‘mountain or hill of of the whau tree’.
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Maungawhau
Image courtesy of brewbooks/Flickr
  • It is believed that in ancient times, Maungawhau was created by a group of three cones, with the most southern of the three erupting last and filling up the other two.
  • As a historical and recreational reserve, Maungawhau is a protected area, and despite being surrounded by a city environment, the area is lush and contains a variety of native vegetation.
  • The Maungawhau crater is roughly circular with a diameter of 180 metres (591 feet)  and a depth of 50 metres (164 feet).
  • To protect the area, from 2011 heavy vehicles, including tourist buses, were prohibited from using the road to the summit of Maungawhau, while no automobiles were permitted to use the road from the beginning of 2016, except for service vehicles, and small vehicles carrying people who would have difficulty walking to the top.
  • Maungawhau has more than 300 known archaeological features, as it is the site of a historic fortified village that housed native people from the area, that was built to gain a strategic advantage over surrounding tribes.
Bibliography:
Maungawhau, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maungawhau
Maungawhau-Mt Eden Management Plan, 2007, Auckland City Council, https://web.archive.org/web/20081016101249/http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/managementplans/mteden/docs/final.pdf
Mount Eden Volcano, n.d, Eden Park, http://bedandbreakfastnz.com/mt-eden-volcano/
Mt Eden, 2016, Auckland Council, http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/parksfacilities/premierparks/Pages/mteden.aspx
Mt Eden Reserve (Maungawhau), 2016, Eventfinda, http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/venue/mt-eden-park-maungawhau-auckland-city-mt-eden

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Condensation

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Condensation

Condensation – keeping dryness on its toes.

  • Condensation is a phenomenon where the moisture in the air, is converted from its gaseous water form to a liquid form.
  • Condensation will most often occur when vapour is cooled or condensed into a density that cannot sustain the entirety of water molecules, and thus must be dispersed as a liquid.
  • The creation of clouds, as described in the water cycle, is a result of the process of condensation.
  • When the dewpoint air temperature (the temperature at which the water vapour will change to liquid when it is cooled) surrounding an object is warmer than or equal to an object’s temperature, condensation can form on the surface of the object.
  • The condensation process provides the main source of water for a variety of both fauna and flora.

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  • Some structures, sometimes known as ‘condensers’, have been designed to collect and harvest condensation as a water source, and these include fog collectors or fences, and air or aerial wells.
  • Condensation can be problematic in buildings due to its tendency to cause corrosion, mould, rotting, and other forms of structure weakening, due to the moisture.
  • Warmer outside air temperatures, will typically decrease the amount of condensation, as generally more water vapour can be contained in warm air.
  • In buildings, air movement, through the use of fans, air conditioners, or open windows, can decrease the amount of condensation.
  • Dehumidifiers are available, and they are designed to be used inside buildings to remove moisture in the air, and this helps to prevent condensation.
Bibliography:
Condensation, 2014, eSchoolToday, http://www.eschooltoday.com/water-cycle/what-is-condensation.html
Condensation, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condensation
Condensation – The Water Cycle, 2015, U.S. Geological Survey, http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclecondensation.html
What Is Condensation?, 2013, Weather Questions, http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_condensation.htm

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Starfruit

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Starfruit

Starfruit are the literal stars distinguishable from the rest.

  • Starfruit is a variety of fruit considered exotic in some areas, that likely originated in Malaysia and Indonesia, and possibly Sri Lanka, India and some other countries of South East Asia.
  • ‘Starfruit’ are also known as ‘five-corner fruit’, ‘carambola’, and in Spanish-speaking countries ‘carambolo’.
  • Starfruit grow on a tree of medium size, that has the scientific name Averrhoa carambola, and it is from the family Oxalidaceae, the family of wood sorrels.
  • Starfruit range from 5 to 15 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) long, and the fruit features five or more large ridges down its length.
  • Starfruit has wax-like skin that is edible, and depending on the variety, a somewhat sour to sweet tasting flesh that is juicy and crunchy, that is comparable to a mixture of apple, grape, pear and citrus.
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Cut Starfruit
Image courtesy of alamosbasement/Flickr
  • If a starfruit is cut across widthways, a star shape is revealed, hence its common name.
  • When ripe, starfruit skin typically changes from a green or yellow-green colour, to a yellow colour, with the flesh ranging from cream to yellow.
  • Starfruit is often eaten raw, but it can also be stewed, preserved, pickled, juiced, made into relish, or cooked as part of a dish.
  • Some caution is required if star fruit is consumed while on certain medications, and the fruit can be dangerous for those with kidney-related health issues.
  • Starfruit is very high in vitamin C and is a good source of fibre, and the fruit contains many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Carambola, 2015, Better Health Channel, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ingredientsprofiles/Carambola
Carambola, 2015, Cape Trib, http://www.capetrib.com.au/carambola.htm
Carambola, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambola

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