A Conversation for Melting Points of Some Common Substances

Peer Review: A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 1

FordsTowel

Entry: Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances - A2260063
Author: FordsTowel - U227087

Well, It's back! I hope it can now find a home in the EG. It's been quite a while (and a few entries) since I first submitted it here.

smiley - towel


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 2

There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho

Commonly used substances...

Define 'commonly', cos I can't remember ever using most of the substances on the list, and I don't believe that most people would have cuase to use them in everyday life. Since 'common' means 'relating to everyone or the community as a whole', I'd have to argue that most of those aren't 'commonly used substances.

Was this point made earlier? I must admit that I don't recall the previous visit to PR of this entry.


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 3

AlexAshman


Maybe 'Common Substances' instead? smiley - erm

You can use to display the degree sign.

Alex smiley - smiley


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 4

AlexAshman


Oops - you have, but only in the table. smiley - smiley


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 5

BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows

.... or even better 'Reference Substances'

Spelling: luster > lustre

Tungsten would be a good inclusion as this is the filament of conventional electric light bulbs.

There is loads of scope for referencing to other h2g2 Entries (I think - I haven't checked whether or not they're in the E.G.) e.g. 'Periodic Table, Alloy.

smiley - ok

smiley - biggrin


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 6

BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows

P.S. The table needs to be sub-divided, e.g. into 'Elements', Alloys, 'organics'.

smiley - biggrin


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 7

BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows

P.P.S. Also, the organics in your table are not in order of M.Pt.

Is the column on Specific Gravity relevant to this Entry?

smiley - biggrin


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 8

BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows

P.P.P.S.

Probably worth mentioning that stearic acid is the major component of candle wax.

smiley - biggrin


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 9

Skankyrich [?]

Sorry, there's enough here already, but I should wade in by saying that it should be e.g. tin rather than Tin unless you're starting a sentence with it. Elements don't get capitalised of their own accord.

smiley - cheers


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 10

Gnomon - time to move on

I'm not very happy with this, I'm afraid.smiley - sadface

Most of the Earth is molten as you say, but this is not liquid, it is more like a solid. Imagine a box full of tightly packed sand, into which you pour a bucket of water. The water will seep around the cracks in the sand and fill all the gaps, but the mixture will behave like a solid, transmitting vibrations like a solid. The stuff inside the Earth is the same, except that the "water" is melted rock. So I'd like it if you rephrased that bit so as not to give the impression that the Earth is predominantly liquid.

I'd prefer you to list degrees Celsius before Fahrenheit, since they are the international standard, but I know that it is a lot of trouble to change the whole table.

Why do you say "Platinum, Pure" when you give all the rest without "Pure"?

I've never heard of Ruthenium and was under the impression that Osmium was only found in laboratories. Are they really common? Likewise, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid.

And where are all the really common substances? Ice. Butter. Margarine. Granite. Candle Wax.

I think it is ridiculous to give density in Troy ounces per cubic inch. This must be one of the most useless units of measurement I've ever seen. Troy Ounces are only used for measuring gold.

The term "specific gravity" went out with the Dinosaurs, or slightly afterwards. "Density" is the normal name, and it should be stated that it is in kg/litre.

When you say "Chocolates", do you mean "Chocolate" by any chance? That's a slightly different thing.

Aluminum --> Aluminium


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 11

AlexAshman


I agree with Gnomon, although to be irritating I'll point out that Kelvins are the SI unit (although this hardly matters unless you're using some Osmium in a lab...)

Alex smiley - biggrin


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 12

FordsTowel

Hi all! Very valid points, each and every one, I think.

This is the reason it sat so long!? I couldn't even think about changes, because each change seem to bring on more suggestions.

Perhaps I should scale it way back, simply because it was not meant to be all-inclusive, just helpful. (Back to guide basics - put in stuff people may need to know to live on the planet.)

I'll remove it from PR once again, until a major rework is complete (including the title).

Just wondering though. Since molten rock is 'melted' and therefore 'liquid' at that pressure and temperature, why shouldn't it be considered as such? There may be some inert particles in the Earth's core that do not melt, but certainly they are a minority component, Right?

smiley - towel


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 13

Gnomon - time to move on

Most of the core of the earth is solid. They know this because two different sorts of seismic waves can travel through the core: longitudinal ones and transverse ones. A liquid would only be able to transmit longitudunal ones. They think that the core consists of solid grains surrounded by a liquid, but packed close enough together that they touch, allowing vibrations to be transmit.


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 14

FordsTowel

Hi Gnomon!

As usual, I thank you for sticking with me as I clarify this point in my mind.

Does the same hold true for a lava flow? Can they not actually test the temperature and (later) the composition to determine its eutectic temperature?

And if, say, liquified gelatin is packed in a hot water bottle, would it not transmit both longitudinal and transverse waves? I suppose that water in a balloon would be nearly equivalent.

smiley - towel


A2260063 - Melting Points of Commonly Used Substances

Post 15

Gnomon - time to move on

Only solids can transmit transverse waves - I think I've got the name of them right - they are the ones where vibration is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the wave.

It's thought that lave is pure liquid. It is squeezed out in spots and forces its way through the solid stuff.


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