Thursday, October 29, 2009

JET ENGINE



What is a jet engine?

A jet engine is a machine for turning fuel into thrust (forward motion). The thrust is produced by action and reaction—a piece of physics also known as Newton's third law of motion. The force (action) of the exhaust gases pushing backward produces an equal and opposite force (reaction) called thrust that powers the vehicle forward. Exactly the same principle pushes a skateboard forward when you kick backward with your foot. In a jet engine, it's the exhaust gas that provides the "kick".

Monday, October 26, 2009


Melde's experiment is a scientific experiment carried out by the German physicist Franz Melde on the standing waves produced in a tense cable originally set oscillating by a tuning fork, later improved with connection to an electric vibrator. This experiment attempted to demonstrate that mechanical waves undergo interference phenomena. In the experiment, mechanical waves traveled in opposite directions from immobile points, called nodes. These waves were called standing waves by Melde since the position of the nodes and loops (points where the cord vibrated) stayed static.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Construction, Working and Limitations of Hydrogen Electrode


construction and working of hydrogen electrode

chemistry-assignment:(Q.2)

This is a gas electrode. It consists of a thin rectangular platinum foil which is coated with fresh platinum black to increase the adsorption capacity of the metal. This is welded and the end of it is fused into the inner tube through the base. In the inner tube, little mercury is taken and a Cu wire is introduced to make the external electrical contact. The inner tube is enclosed in an outer jacket having an inlet tube for sending in H2 gas and has a perforated wider base for the escape of excess of H2. This unit is dipped in HCl taken in a beaker such that the metal foil remains in the solution.

Working

When pure and dry H2 gas is passed through the inlet tube, a part of the gas gets adsorbed and the excess bubbles out through the perforations. Between the H2 gas absorbed on the surface of the metal and H+ of the solution, an equilibrium is established and an electrical double layer of opposite charges is formed. The potential developed is called H2 electrode potential.

In the above system, when the H2 gas at a pressure of 1atm is bubbled through 1M HCl, the electrode (constructed) or formed is called STANDARD HYDROGEN ELECTRODE (SHE) or Normal H2 electrode (NHE). This is represented as Pt, H2 / H+(760 mm of Hg) (IM)

The standard H2 electrode potential is defined as the potential that is developed between the H2 gas adsorbed on the pt metal and H+ of the solution when the H2 gas at a pressure of 760 mm of Hg is in equilibrium with H+ of unit concentration

The magnitude of SHE potential is considered to be zero. It is used-

1) For the determination of electrode potential of metal electrode system.

2) For the determination of pH of the solution.

Limitations

1) It is rather difficult to regulate the pressure of the H2 gas to be at exactly 1atm throughout the experiment.

2) Excess of H2 bubbling out carries little HCl with it and hence the H+ concentration decreases. In such a system, it is difficult to maintain the concentration of HCl at 1M.

3) Platinum foil gets easily poisoned by the impurities present in the gas and HCl. In fact, the attainment of equilibrium is ensured by trial and error.

4) If the solution contains any oxidizing agent, the H2 electrode cannot be used.

Determination of Single Electrode Potential

chemistry-assignment:(Q.1)

It is not possible to measure directly the potential developed at interface of the metal gas and its ions in solution using voltmeter. Hence the electrode whose single electrode potential has to be determined is coupled with another electrode of known potential and the emf of the cell is determined by the potentiometeric method.

Normally SHE is used for coupling and in the electrochemical cell constructed, it acts either as a positive or negative electrode depending on the nature of the other electrode.

When SHE acts as positive electrode, then,

E.m.f = E+ve - E-ve


emf value when single electrode potential is positive
This means when the electrode potential is negative with respect to SHE, oxidation takes place at that electrode.

When SHE acts as negative electrode, then,

Emf = E+ve - E-ve

emf value when single electrode potential is negative
This means when the electrode potential is positive reduction takes place at the metal electrode.

Example:

electrode a cell made of a Zn electrode immersed in 1M ZnSO4 is coupled with a S.H.E. The E.M.F. of the above cell is 0.76V. The direction of flow indicates that oxidation takes place so a standard reduction potential of -0.76V is given to it.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Happy Diwali :)


There's always something warm and bright, about this time of the year, when everything has a special glow, and hearts are full of cheer, that's why, this special greeting comes your way, to wish you all life's best, on Diwali and in the coming year, too....

Friday, October 16, 2009

Engineering graphics class today


Some geometrical constructions like bisecting a long line,.......
These things are being taught for the last time in a very detailed manner....so that students can do them so swiftly at the next time