Word: vaporous
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1940-1949
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
What Are They? Scientists know surprisingly little about clouds, which were not even named or classified until 1803 (by an English druggist named Luke Howard). They know how clouds and fogs (clouds on the ground) are formed-by the cooling of humid air, which condenses water vapor on particles of dust, pollen or soot in the air. They also know what a cloud or fog is made of-water droplets (or ice crystals) so small that an 1,800-cu. ft. block of dense fog contains only one-seventh of a glass of water. But many questions, such as what...
...packaging, bags of silica gel are enclosed with the packed object in a vapor-proof wrapping like Pliofilm or reinforced Cellophane. To show whether the air inside is keeping dry enough, the silica gel is impregnated with cobalt chloride, which turns pink if humidity rises above 30%-the point at which metal begins to rust. After unwrapping, silica gel can be dried and used again...
...October 1937 two N.A.C.A. engineers patented a continuous system for using exhaust gases to vaporize water in a boiler built around the exhaust pipe. The vapor traveled into a long, perforated pipe inside the front edge of the wing; the condensed vapor drained back into the boiler. The boiler added more weight to the plane, and there was always the leakage danger inherent in any water-circulation system. But this impracticable system was the beginning of last week's new idea...
...blazing sun popped over the rim of the cloud world. When the coastal rally point was reached, the Forts were arranged in an irregular flying box formation, not unlike the classic battle phalanx. The highest planes were cascading mile-long vapor trails. Over the Channel, the clouds disappeared. Not a boat rippled the Channel's surface. Far out on either side, Spitfires raced along, occasionally tipping their wings to warn the eager fortress gunners not to fire on them...
There are other controlled-atmosphere processes using pure nitrogen, ammonia gas, etc., and eliminating oxygen, water vapor and carbon dioxide. But the lithium system provides a neutral atmosphere so simple to handle that little skill is needed. Air and fuel gas are automatically circulated, picking up lithium vapor from a small, renewable cartridge about the size of a tin cup, which lasts for eight hours. As long as the exhaust gas burns with the bright scarlet flame characteristic of the spectrum of lithium salts, any workman not color-blind can see that the furnace is working properly...