Ask a physicist anything. (2)

[Mystman]

Random aside: Smallest molecule is a singly-ionised hydrogen dimer (H2+)*

*What's the tag for sub- and superscripts again....

[sup]sup[/sup]and[sub]sub[/sub] ^^

edit: too slow ;_;

 

[catzrfluffy]

Did you know that you have a formula? It's:

H[sub]15750[/sub]N[sub]310[/sub]O[sub]6500[/sub]C[sub]2250[/sub]Ca[sub]63[/sub]P[sub]48[/sub]K[sub]15[/sub]S[sub]15[/sub]Na[sub]10[/sub]Cl[sub]6[/sub]Mg[sub]3[/sub]Fe[sub]1[/sub]​

It's the formula for a human being.​

 

[TerranceL]

What's the most important molecule that the average person probably hasn't heard about and why is it important?

 

[IzzyPop]

[sup]sup[/sup]and[sub]sub[/sub] ^^

edit: too slow ;_;

Yeah. Wiccan is good at that...

 

[Cabal]

What's the most important molecule that the average person probably hasn't heard about and why is it important?

I want to say "ammonia" - but that's probably too widely known?

 

[Wiccan_Child]

What's the most important molecule that the average person probably hasn't heard about and why is it important?

Dihydrogen oxide.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Did you know that you have a formula? It's:

H[sub]15750[/sub]N[sub]310[/sub]O[sub]6500[/sub]C[sub]2250[/sub]Ca[sub]63[/sub]P[sub]48[/sub]K[sub]15[/sub]S[sub]15[/sub]Na[sub]10[/sub]Cl[sub]6[/sub]Mg[sub]3[/sub]Fe[sub]1[/sub]​

It's the formula for a human being.​

I find that extremely unlikely! I have 50 trillion cells in my body, each composed of trillions of atoms. So to say that I have a mere 15750 hydrogen atoms (etc) in my entire body is something of an understatement. Perhaps a single organelle in a single cell in my body has that many hydrogen atoms, but I have rather a lot more in my entire body .

But the, you might be being facetious...

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Yeah. Wiccan is good at that...

That's what she said.

Ba dum tish.

 

[Cabal]

I find that extremely unlikely! I have 50 trillion cells in my body, each composed of trillions of atoms. So to say that I have a mere 15750 hydrogen atoms (etc) in my entire body is something of an understatement. Perhaps a single organelle in a single cell in my body has that many hydrogen atoms, but I have rather a lot more in my entire body .

But the, you might be being facetious...

I think it's a ratio. I googled the formula and found this but they don't seem to actually explain the ratio.....

But yeah, one iron atom? I'd hate to see that anaemia sufferer!

 

[canehdianhotstuff]

It's called the empirical formula. Everything reduced down to its lowest common factors.

 

[Cabal]

It's called the empirical formula. Everything reduced down to its lowest common factors.

Oh, THAT'S what that meant.....

...



Hoo boy, I think a penny dropped there for me that was hanging around up there since high school ....







I'll get me coat.

 

[TerranceL]

I want to say "ammonia" - but that's probably too widely known?

I hate that stuff.... my mom used to put it on bee stings when I was a kid.

 

[TerranceL]

Dihydrogen oxide.

LOL

So sad.. but so true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw

 

[Cabal]

I hate that stuff.... my mom used to put it on bee stings when I was a kid.

I was thinking more for its wide role in basic fertilisers...explosives, etc.

But yeah, I had an insect bite remedy made of paraffin soaked in ammonia. It was fun to sniff.

Also worked with deuterated ammonia one time (ND3, not NH3) - burns, and got deuterium into your system whenever we vented it. Fun tiems!

 

[Mystman]

What's the most important molecule that the average person probably hasn't heard about and why is it important?

ATP (the primary energy carrier in living cells) is pretty important, but I guess almost everyone hears about that in High School.

Ah, I know:

Phospholipids.They spontanously form spherical membranes which are the basis for all living cells.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

It's called the empirical formula. Everything reduced down to its lowest common factors.

So it's like a 'one part iron, 5000 parts hydrogen' thing? Interesting. How did they work that out?

 

[catzrfluffy]

Do any formulas spell words?
Like W[sub]100[/sub]I[sub]85[/sub]C[sub]80[/sub]Ca[sub]76[/sub]N[sub]63[/sub][sup]2[/sup]C[sub]52[/sub]H[sub]14[/sub]I[sub]8[/sub]Li[sub]3[/sub]Dy[sub]2[/sub] (nearly)

What would happen if someone makes that? 0_0

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Do any formulas spell words?
Like W[sub]100[/sub]I[sub]85[/sub]C[sub]80[/sub]Ca[sub]76[/sub]N[sub]63[/sub][sup]2[/sup]C[sub]52[/sub]H[sub]14[/sub]I[sub]8[/sub]Li[sub]3[/sub]Dy[sub]2[/sub] (nearly)

What would happen if someone makes that? 0_0

You'd end up with a stunningly handsome British gentlemen who peruses internet forums .

 

[Cabal]

You'd end up with a stunningly handsome British gentlemen who peruses internet forums .

And who does science!

Speaking of gentlemen of science, ever since I've started my PhD I keep wanting to go to work in the same style of clothes as Ernest Rutherford. Yes, I know it's impractical when you're bolting together high vacuum equipment, but so what.....

 

[Cabal]

Do any formulas spell words?
Like W[sub]100[/sub]I[sub]85[/sub]C[sub]80[/sub]Ca[sub]76[/sub]N[sub]63[/sub][sup]2[/sup]C[sub]52[/sub]H[sub]14[/sub]I[sub]8[/sub]Li[sub]3[/sub]Dy[sub]2[/sub] (nearly)

What would happen if someone makes that? 0_0

Ca-B-Al

Haha, yes!

...

Oh dear, this has made me far happier than it should....we're talking made-my-day happy.