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General => The Shed => Topic started by: tim on August 13, 2004, 11:08:46

Title: I'm no scientist -
Post by: tim on August 13, 2004, 11:08:46
- so was fascinated by this one.

When I stir our granular fertiliser, by hand, to dissolve it, I've always thought what a wimp I was in finding the water so cold that I have to take breaks. But when I run the rainwater over my hand, it feels like blood-heat.

Spoke with Vitax (who are endlessly helpful) about slow dissolving.
The tech chap there said that this can be due to the concentrate releasing energy & taking the temperature almost to freezing point, thus delaying the process.

So? So I'm not a wimp!! = Tim


Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: Gardengirl on August 13, 2004, 11:21:57
Fascinating - we learn something new everyday Tim :D :)
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: Spurdie on August 13, 2004, 19:01:59
Hmm, a fellow philosopher! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks about everything all the time! Have you noticed that when the garden sprinkler is on (a very rare occasion in our garden!!!) when you run past it and get wet, the water is freezing cold, and yet it is very pleasant to go for a walk in the rain and get soaked, WITHOUT getting cold! Why is that Tim?
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: derbex on August 17, 2004, 11:27:44
Quoteyet it is very pleasant to go for a walk in the rain and get soaked, WITHOUT getting cold! Why is that?


Because you're scottish ;D

Being an Essex wimp I hate getting soaked no matter how warm the rain.





So why did I take up sailing & diving then ::)

Jeremy
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: tim on August 17, 2004, 20:17:23
Spurdie =
1. A walk in the rain is self-imposed. A sprinkler is a shock.
2. You are in the wrong clothes?
3. Water expanding out of a jet, cools. Hence blowing on your food. Disgusting habit! = Tim

Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: Wicker on August 17, 2004, 20:59:42
Tut, tut, Tim - some of us don't blow on our food we just exhale gently on it!! Anyway don't think anyone could ever think of you as a wimp!
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: Hugh_Jones on August 17, 2004, 23:06:42
tim, if you keep on stirring it with your hands you`ll get arthritic fingers, then .........

YO`U/*WIL@;ENDUP";HAVIN+G(TO%TYPE?>LIKE[#THIS"
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: eileen on August 17, 2004, 23:46:33
Glad to have you back amongst us Hugh - how you been?

Eileen.
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: TrailRat on August 20, 2004, 19:11:59
When you walk through a sprinkler and out the spray the water starts to evaporate, like sweat, thus drawing heat from your body. With rain the water drops are denser taking longer to evaporate and causing a layer on clothing and skin that acts as a heat barrier keeping you warm. Also rain is constant if you walk in it, where as running through a sprinkler isn't. I hope I make sense. Got told that information when I went survival training, for a long expedition i was doing on the bike.

TrailRat
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: tim on August 20, 2004, 20:19:06
Yes. And, as said, water forced through a jet is cooled significantly? = Tim
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: Spurdie on August 25, 2004, 19:56:01
Hello all

What a clever lot you are!

Tim, I must be an eternal optimist, as I often get a soaking while out on a walk, and yet I still go out without a jacket! Either that or I am too stupid to remember to take one with me!  ::)

OK Trailrat, what is your scientific explanation as to why fried tomatoes are always hotter than fried sausages? Do tomatoes store heat more efficiently than the humble sausage? Even if the tomatoes are added frying pan much later than the sausages, the tomatoes are still far hotter than the sausages ... But as Tim thinks blowing on food is a bad habit, I shall have to invest in a mini fan for the edge of my plate!  ;)
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: TrailRat on August 25, 2004, 21:48:54
Quite simple really. Tomatoes contain more moisture which retains heat, unlike the banger which is more packed with less water. At least thats my theory.

TrailRat
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: Hugh_Jones on August 25, 2004, 23:40:12
Almost right, but it`s not a matter of retention of heat, but of absorbing it.  As you rightly say the tomatoes contain far more water and consequently have far less density than the sausages. The greater the density, the greater the amount of heat required to attain a given temperature, or, putting it differently, if you cook them both in the same pan on the same heat source the tomatoes will be cooked through long before the heat has properly penetrated the middle of the sausage.

However, if both tomatoes and sausages were brought to exactly the same temperature, it would in fact be the tomatoes, being the less dense, which would cool first.
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: Spurdie on August 28, 2004, 20:40:03
Fancy getting all this amazing info on a gardening website! I'll know where to come when my daughter gets stuck with her homework!  ;D  
Title: Re:I'm no scientist -
Post by: TrailRat on August 29, 2004, 00:07:09
Anytime spurdie. I was a strange kid who loved homework.

TrailRat