Interesting facts about body weight. Are there identical snowflakes? Why does a bird sitting on a high voltage wire not die from electric shock?
If you think physics is boring, then this article is for you. We will tell you fun facts that will help you take a fresh look at your least favorite subject.
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No. 1: why is the Sun red in the evenings?
Actually, the sun's light is white. White light with its spectral decomposition, it is the sum of all the colors of the rainbow. In the evening and morning time The rays pass through low ground and dense layers of the atmosphere. Dust particles and air molecules thus act as a red filter, best transmitting the red component of the spectrum.
#2: Where do atoms come from?
When the Universe formed, there were no atoms. There were only elementary particles, and even then not all of them. The atoms of the elements of almost the entire periodic table were formed during nuclear reactions in the interior of stars, when lighter nuclei turn into heavier ones. We ourselves are made up of atoms formed in deep space.
No. 3: How much “dark” matter is there in the world?
We live in a material world and everything that is around is matter. You can touch it, sell it, buy it, you can build something. But there is not only matter in the world, but also dark matter. She doesn't radiate electromagnetic radiation and does not interact with him.
Dark matter, for obvious reasons, has not been touched or seen by anyone. Scientists decided that it exists by observing some indirect signs. It is believed that dark matter makes up about 22% of the Universe. For comparison: the good old matter we are used to takes up only 5%.
No. 4: what is the temperature of lightning?
And it’s clear that it’s very high. According to science, it can reach 25,000 degrees Celsius. This is many times more than on the surface of the Sun (there are only about 5000). We strongly do not recommend trying to check what the temperature of the lightning is. There are specially trained people in the world for this.
Eat! Considering the scale of the Universe, the probability of this had previously been assessed quite high. But it was only relatively recently that people began to discover exoplanets.
Exoplanets orbit their stars in what is called the “life zone.” More than 3,500 exoplanets are now known, and they are being discovered more and more often.
#6: How old is the Earth?
The earth is about four billion years old. In the context of this, one fact is interesting: the largest unit of time is the kalpa. Kalpa (otherwise the day of Brahma) is a concept from Hinduism. According to him, day gives way to night, equal in duration. At the same time, the length of Brahma’s day coincides with the age of the Earth to within 5%.
By the way! If you are sorely short of time to study, pay attention. For our readers there is now a 10% discount on
#7: Where do the aurora come from?
The polar or northern lights are the result of the interaction of the solar wind (cosmic radiation) with top layers Earth's atmosphere.
Charged particles coming from space collide with atoms in the atmosphere, causing them to become excited and emit light. This phenomenon is observed at the poles, as the Earth's magnetic field "captures" particles, protecting the planet from "bombardment" by cosmic rays.
#8: Is it true that the water in the sink swirls in different directions in the northern and southern hemispheres?
Actually this is not true. Indeed, there is a Coriolis force acting on the flow of fluid in a rotating reference frame. On the scale of the Earth, the effect of this force is so small that observing the swirling of water when flowing into different sides only possible under very carefully selected conditions.
No. 9: how is water different from other substances?
One of the fundamental properties of water is its density in solid and liquid states. So, ice is always lighter liquid water, therefore it is always on the surface and does not sink. And also, hot water freezes faster than cold. This paradox, called the Mpemba effect, has not yet been fully explained.
#10: How does speed affect time?
The faster an object moves, the slower time will pass for it. Here we can recall the paradox of twins, one of whom traveled on a superfast spaceship, and the second remained on the ground. When the space traveler returned home, he found his brother an old man. The answer to the question of why this happens is given by the theory of relativity and relativistic mechanics.
We hope our 10 facts about physics helped convince us that these are not just boring formulas, but the whole world around us.
However, formulas and problems can be a hassle. To save time, we have collected the most popular formulas and prepared a guide to solving physical problems.
And if you are tired of strict teachers and endless tests, contact , who will help you quickly solve even tasks of increased complexity.
Issue 15The fifteenth episode of the program is dedicated to new physical quantities- body weight and weight. These concepts are often confused and weight is measured in kilograms. But this is a gross mistake and Professor Daniil Edisonovich Quark will explain why this is so. Is it possible to change your body weight or even make it completely weightless? Physics answers in the affirmative. Want to know how to do this? Then watch a physics video lesson from the Academy of Entertaining Sciences, dedicated to body mass and weight.
Body mass and weight
What is the difference between mass and body weight? It seems to be the same thing. But why then, standing on the scales, can we change their readings by performing certain actions (raising our arms or bending our torso)? A physics video lesson is what you need to clarify these questions. Yes, there is a difference. From a physics point of view, it is wrong to ask the seller how much a particular product weighs. The right thing to do is to ask what its mass is! Weight is a vector quantity, a force. She always has a direction. If body weight remains unchanged, its weight can be changed. For example, putting a banana on the scale and pressing it with your hand, we will get more weight, while the mass of the banana will remain the same. Body weight is the force with which this body, being attracted to the ground, presses on the support or stretches the suspension. If body mass is measured in kilograms, then weight, like any force, is measured in newtons. Now it is clear why it is incorrect to say that body weight is equal to so many kilograms? So, body weight is always measured in newtons, while body mass can be measured in grams, kilograms, etc. Unlike body weight, body weight is not a constant value. It can increase or decrease, while body weight remains the same. Body mass is a scalar quantity. Why does it take your breath away if you swing hard on a swing? Professor Quark believes that this is a feeling of weightlessness, similar to that which occurs in space. How does it happen that the body’s weight becomes zero, even for a moment? And it turns out this way because at the moment of falling the body does not press on anything and does not pull anything back, therefore, it has no weight. Here is another example proving that the weight of a body can change while its mass remains constant. In water, all bodies weigh less than on land. Otherwise we could not swim, but went straight to the bottom. An elephant with a body weight of 1 ton weighs more on land than in water. Whales weighing more than 30 tons are able to soar in the water like birds.
Science does not stand still, and what we considered to be true just a few years ago is now scientists' opinion can change radically. In addition, every now and then new factors are being identified that influence weight and the ability to lose weight. Now many scientists are looking in a new way at the relationship between weight and genetics, pregnancy and various chemical processes occurring in our body.
It really is genetics.
When scientists first discovered the gene responsible for predisposition to obesity and type 2 diabetes, they called it the Obesity Gene (FTO). People who inherit this gene usually have excess weight. People who inherit a double copy of this gene from both parents have a 40% chance of developing diabetes and a 60% chance of being obese. Approximately 16% of the population has a double set of the obesity gene, and half of us have a single gene.
But predisposition does not mean a life sentence. Regular training and healthy diet significantly reduce the risk of obesity even in genetically predisposed people. 
Some people simply have more fat cells.
And this difference is sometimes huge - some people may have 2 times more fat cells than others. And even if you lose weight, the number of fat cells you have will remain the same. Empty and hungry, they will wait in the wings in your body and “hope” that someday they will be filled with fat again. But as if this were not enough injustice, people who are overweight have fat cells able to store more fat! 
Where do these fat cells come from in the body? They are formed in childhood and cease to be produced around adulthood. People with excess fat cells begin to form them earlier (as early as age two) and appear to be produced at a faster rate than those lucky enough to have few fat cells. And while you can't control the number of fat cells, you can avoid overfeeding them. After all, it is not so much the number of fat cells that is important, but their size and ability to accumulate fat. 
Your mother's pregnancy sealed your fate.
Not only smoking or alcohol adversely affects the development of the embryo. Sugary and fatty foods begin to harm you even before you are born. In pregnant women with overweight those who love sweets and fatty foods, the embryo receives more glucose and free fatty acids, compared to women normal weight. This excess negatively affects metabolism and hormonal system future child. 
You can change your metabolism.
Metabolism determines how difficult or easy it is for you to burn extra calories and fat. But a slow metabolism can still be accelerated. The easiest way to speed up your metabolism is through regular exercise. physical activity, especially strength exercises. Muscle burns more calories than fat mass. In addition, after training, the metabolism remains accelerated for a couple of hours. To avoid slowing down your metabolism, do not fast for more than 4 hours. 
5. Stress adds extra pounds to you.
Stress is the most direct path to finding a chocolate bar in your mouth. Stressful circumstances (a scolding from your boss, a quarrel with your mother-in-law, bad grades from a stupid child) make you crave food, rich in carbohydrates, which can calm your nerves. If you succumb to this mechanism regularly, it will begin to work in reverse side- the absence of your favorite chocolate will lead to the production of stress hormones. 
6. Sleep more - you will lose weight faster.
If you sleep less than 7-8 hours, then, trying to lose weight, do not rush to go on a diet or run to Gym. Better lie down and sleep. Lack of sleep leads to weight gain and hunger. This happens because lack of sleep is the same stress that disrupts hormonal balance, causing the body to produce less leptin (the hormone responsible for satiety) and more ghrelin (the hormone responsible for hunger). As a result, a person feels constantly hungry without good reason. 
The virus leads to obesity.
Adenoviruses that cause ARVI, it turns out, can cause obesity. According to latest research, adenoviruses can increase both the number of fat cells in the body and the amount of fat they contain. It has been found that obese people have more antibodies to adenovirus-36 (a type of adenovirus) than people of normal weight. So soon, perhaps, there will be a vaccine against the obesity virus. Sounds too fantastic? But a few years ago, a vaccination against cervical cancer sounded just as fantastic, but now it is an absolute reality.
Chocolate is addictive.
For chocolate lovers, the same parts of the brain are excited at the sight of the coveted food as in alcoholics at the sight of a bottle of alcohol. Moreover, it can be not only chocolate, but also any other favorite food: chips, for example, cola or ice cream. This may be due to dopamine, a hormone that links motivation with pleasure. Fat people have fewer receptors for this dopamine, so to get pleasure from their favorite food, they need to eat more of it. The behavior of “product addicts” is also often similar to the behavior of drug addicts: this desire eating a favorite product and the inability to give it up even for a while, stress relief and pleasure in the process of consumption, a feeling of guilt and often secrecy, hiding one’s dependence from others. And it’s not just the lack of self-discipline among “gluttons,” as is usually believed. 
9. Ear infections can affect your taste.
Those who were often sick in childhood ear infections, usually have decreased sensitivity taste buds because infections cause damage to the special nerve that runs through the middle ear. Such people find it difficult to grasp the nuances between taste sensations, they constantly want to diversify their menu, and to satisfy their “sweet tooth,” as Americans say, they need to eat more sweets. As a result, those who had frequent ear infections as children are twice as likely to be overweight. You need to know your weak spots and control yourself, try to eat slowly, enjoy every bite, replace fatty and sweet foods with less calories. So, fruits will replace sweets, and olive oil- creamy. 
Antioxidants also act as anti-fats.
Free radicals are now blamed not only for causing early aging, but also that they contribute to obesity. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, fight free radicals, delaying aging and obesity, and help burn fat in the body faster. The best way to get more antioxidants inside is to give up fast food and junk food and load up on fruits and vegetables.
Science does not stand still, and what we considered to be true just a few years ago, now scientists’ opinions can radically change. In addition, every now and then new factors are being identified that influence weight and the ability to lose weight. Now many scientists are looking in a new way at the relationship between weight and genetics, pregnancy and various chemical processes occurring in our body.
1. It really is genetics.
When scientists first discovered the gene responsible for predisposition to obesity and type 2 diabetes, they called it the Obesity Gene (FTO). People who inherit this gene tend to be overweight. People who inherit a double copy of this gene from both parents have a 40% chance of developing diabetes and a 60% chance of being obese. Approximately 16% of the population has a double set of the obesity gene, and half of us have a single gene.
But now scientists believe that there are many more genes that affect weight - more than 100. They affect weight less than the main obesity gene FTO, but, nevertheless, they add an extra kilogram here and there.
But predisposition does not mean a life sentence. Regular exercise and a healthy diet greatly reduce the risk of obesity, even in genetically predisposed people.
2. Some people simply have more fat cells.
And this difference is sometimes huge - some people may have 2 times more fat cells than others. And even if you lose weight, the number of fat cells you have will remain the same. Empty and hungry, they will wait in the wings in your body and “hope” that someday they will be filled with fat again. But as if this were not unfair enough, in people who are overweight, fat cells are able to store more fat!
Where do these fat cells come from in the body? They are formed in childhood and cease to be produced around adulthood. People with excess fat cells begin to form them earlier (as early as age two) and appear to be produced at a faster rate than those lucky enough to have few fat cells. And although you can't control the number of fat cells (this is most likely genetics, too), you can avoid overfeeding them. After all, it is not so much the number of fat cells that is important, but their size and ability to accumulate fat.
3. Your mother's pregnancy sealed your fate.
Not only smoking or alcohol adversely affect the development of the embryo. Sugary and fatty foods begin to harm you even before you are born. In overweight pregnant women who love sweet and fatty foods, the fetus receives more glucose and free fatty acids compared to women of normal weight. This excess negatively affects the metabolism and hormonal system of the unborn child.
4. You can change your metabolism.
Metabolism determines how difficult or easy it is for you to burn extra calories and fat. But a slow metabolism can still be accelerated. The easiest way to speed up your metabolism is through regular physical activity, especially strength training. Muscle burns more calories than fat mass. In addition, after training, the metabolism remains accelerated for a couple of hours. To avoid slowing down your metabolism, do not fast for more than 4 hours.
5. Stress adds extra pounds to you.
Stress is the most direct path to finding a chocolate bar in your mouth. Stressful circumstances (a scolding from your boss, a quarrel with your mother-in-law, bad grades from a stupid child) make you crave carbohydrate-rich foods that can calm your nerves. If you succumb to this mechanism regularly, it will begin to work in the opposite direction - the absence of your favorite chocolate will lead to the production of stress hormones.
6. Sleep more - you will lose weight faster.
If you sleep less than 7-8 hours, then, trying to lose weight, do not rush to go on a diet or run to the gym. Better lie down and sleep. Lack of sleep leads to weight gain and hunger. This happens because lack of sleep is the same stress that disrupts hormonal balance, causing the body to produce less leptin (the hormone responsible for satiety) and more ghrelin (the hormone responsible for hunger). As a result, a person feels constantly hungry without good reason.
7. The virus leads to obesity.
Adenoviruses that cause ARVI, it turns out, can cause obesity. According to recent research, adenoviruses can increase both the number of fat cells in the body and the amount of fat they contain. It has been found that obese people have more antibodies to adenovirus-36 (a type of adenovirus) than people of normal weight. So soon, perhaps, there will be a vaccine against the obesity virus. Sounds too fantastic? But a few years ago, a vaccination against cervical cancer sounded just as fantastic, but now it is an absolute reality.
8. Chocolate is addictive.
9. Ear infections can affect your taste.
Those who had frequent ear infections as children usually have decreased sensitivity in their taste buds because the infections cause damage to the special nerve that runs through the middle ear. It is difficult for such people to grasp the nuances between taste sensations, they constantly want to diversify their menu, and in order to satisfy their “sweet tooth,” as Americans say, they need to eat more sweets. As a result, those who had frequent ear infections as children are twice as likely to be overweight. Since, as you know, nerves do not recover, the solution is to know your weak points and control yourself, try to eat slowly, enjoy every bite, replace fatty and sweet foods with less calories. So, fruits will replace sweets, and olive oil will replace butter.
10. Antioxidants also act as anti-fats.
Free radicals are now blamed not only for causing early aging, but also for contributing to obesity. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, fight free radicals, delaying aging and obesity, and help the body burn fat faster. The best way to get more antioxidants inside is to give up fast food and junk food and load up on fruits and vegetables.
Today we will raise a seemingly insignificant, but in fact very important topic. Namely, we will look at the difference between mass and weight. A school graduate knows that weight and mass are not the same thing. But even the most titled physicist will not tell the seller: “Give me a kilogram of apples.” He will say “weigh”, meaning the amount of apple product, not its heaviness. Let us reveal the mystery of this state of affairs.
Let's look through the physics textbook
Weight is strength variable quantity, measured in newtons, means the effect on the support of a lying object or the tension of a suspension. Mass is the amount of substance inside the body, calculated in kilograms, tons, pounds, etc., and is a constant value.
For stationary objects, the values of these parameters are directly proportional. When weighing, the force with which the product presses on the stand is determined, and the display shows its mass. Very convenient for sellers and buyers.
When does difference occur?
- The farther from the center of the Earth, the smaller the g, and the lighter the body.
- Inertia. When an airplane or rocket takes off, the pilot experiences overload. The inertia of the start was added to its gravity, and the pressure on the support (chair) increased. On the contrary, when the elevator moves down, the passenger becomes lighter and puts less pressure on the floor.
- A falling object weighs nothing, since K = g - g = 0. This is a state of weightlessness, although the mass remains the same.
- Under the conditions of other planets, gravity changes. On the Moon g=1.62, and on Mars 3.86. The same body on the Moon is 6 times lighter, on Mars - 2.5 times lighter than under terrestrial conditions.
Why does confusion happen?
A person perceives the world through sensations. We cannot feel mass, but we can feel weight. The girl is holding a book. In this case, the palm is a support. The book presses, the hand resists. The reader feels the effort to hold the book. Opposition - the only way definitions of mass given to us by nature. Hence the reason for the substitution of concepts, the discrepancy between the norms of language and physical phenomena.
