Helium - intermediate chemistry series Traditional Geocache
Darick: Time to start letting a few of these go. Thanks for all who participated in this experiment.
Helium - intermediate chemistry series
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Not quite the same as some others in the series, but should be a quick find at H.H. Harper Park. Parking is along 48th Street about .1mi from ground zero. There are often muggles about, so be aware of who may be watching before making the grab. Bring your own pen/pencil. The park is closed from 11pm to 5am.
This is part of a series of caches all using the same container. The experiment continues... these containers seem to be holding up even through the winter months. How long can these lids last in the elements? Only time will tell.
************** HELIUM ***************
Atomic Number: 2
Symbol: He
Discovery: Janssen, 1868, some sources say Sir William Ramsey, Nils Langet, P.T. Cleve 1895
Word Origin: Greek: helios, sun. Helium was first detected as a new spectral line during a solar eclipse.
Isotopes: 7 isotopes of helium are known.
Properties: Helium is a very light, inert, colorless gas. Helium has the lowest melting point of any element. It is the only liquid that cannot be solidified by lowering the temperature. It remains liquid down to absolute zero at ordinary pressures, but can be solidified by increasing the pressure. The specific heat of helium gas is unusually high. The density of helium vapor at the normal boiling point is also very high, with the vapor expanding greatly when heated to room temperature. Although helium normally has a valence of zero, it has a weak tendency to combine with certain other elements.
Uses: Helium is widely used in cryogenic research because its boiling point is near absolute zero. It is used in the study of superconductivity, as an inert gas shield for arc welding, as a protective gas in growing silicon and germanium crystals and producing titanium and zirconium, for pressuring liquid fuel rockets, for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as a cooling medium for nuclear reactors, and as a gas for supersonic wind tunnels. A mixture of helium and oxygen is used as an artificial atmosphere for divers and others working under pressure. Helium is used for filling balloons and blimps.
Sources: Except for hydrogen, helium is the most abundant element in the universe. It is an important component in the proton-proton reaction and the carbon cycle, which account for the energy of the sun and stars. Helium is extracted from natural gas. In fact, all natural gas contains at least trace quantities of helium. The fusion of hydrogen into helium is the sources of a hydrogen bomb's energy. Helium is a disintegration product of radioactive substances, so it is found in ores of uranium, radium, and other elements.
Source - (visit link)
Interesting side note on FTF: I placed this cache months and months ago, but accidentally deleted the coordinates from my GPSr. When I finally went back to shoot the coordinates again, I checked to make sure the log was dry and to my surprise, Bill the Bear and Mizz Piggy had found the cache and signed the log! They get honorary FTF honors, but post-publishing FTF is up for grabs. Enjoy!
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