December+ALS

December 7, 2014 The dangers of glow stick liquid.

The glow sticks if opened, have shards of glass that can possibly fall out. This could possibly cut you. Glow stick fluid also has hydrogen peroxide in it. The hydrogen peroxide you use at home has been diluted and is for cleaning or taking care of cuts. The kind that is found in glow sticks is a lot stronger and is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Corrosive means, to eat away at whatever it comes into contact with. Phthalic ester is another chemical used in the glow stick. It is an additive used to make plastic flexible (It is being phased out due to health hazards.) Phenyl Oxalate Ester is the chemical used in the glow stick to make it glow. When in contact with hydrogen peroxide, it glows. These chemicals are all dangerous. When in contact with eyes, the skin, your mouth or throat, it burns. It is also harmful to animals or pets.



December 12, 2014 Why don't evergreen trees ever change color like other trees do?

Pine trees don't ever change color because they never stop their photosynthesis process. The tree sap allows them to have an anti-freeze factor. Also evergreen trees have a thick waxy stuff on the needles that protects them. This wax is also what causes the blue-green color on the needles. Newer needles have less wax on them so that's why they are more green than the older needles. Another reason could be that pine needles are a lot stronger than thin leaves. The needles can last through winter because they are strong, while the leaves cannot last through winter because they aren't strong because they are so thin.

The websites that I used to find this information are: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19730111&id=twcqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sygEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4299,1443300, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090107133501AALZGwb, and http://kentardbiology.blogspot.com/2007/11/why-do-deciduous-trees-change-colors.html