Glaciers

What is a glacier?
A glacier is a thick mass of ice that covers a large area of land. Around ten percent of the world's land area is covered by glaciers. Most glaciers are located near the North or South Poles, but glaciers also exist high in mountain ranges such as the Himalayas and the Andes.
How do glaciers form?
Glaciers form from snow that doesn't melt even during the summer. When enough snow builds up the weight of the snow will compress and turn into solid ice. It can take hundreds of years for a large glacier to form. Glaciers Move Although glaciers are made of ice and appear to be sitting still, they are actually moving. The weight of a glacier will cause it to move slowly downhill, sort of like a very slow moving river. The speed of glaciers varies widely with some moving as slow as a few feet a year while others may move several feet per day.
Types of Glaciers
Scientists have given names to different types of glaciers. Here are a few of the main types: Calving -
A calving glacier is one that ends in a body of water like a lake or an ocean. The term calving comes from icebergs that break off the glacier or "calve" into the water. If the body of water has tides (like the ocean), the glacier may also be called a tidewater glacier. Cirque - Cirque glaciers form on the slopes of mountains. They are also called alpine or mountain glaciers. Hanging - Hanging glaciers form on the side of a mountain above a glacial valley. They are called hanging because they do not reach the valley where the main glacier is located. Ice cap - An ice cap is formed when ice completely covers an area of land such that no part of the land, not even mountain peaks, poke through the top of the ice cap. Ice field - An ice field is when ice completely covers a flat area. Piedmont - A piedmont glacier is formed when a glacier flows into a plain at the edge of a mountain range. Polar - A polar glacier is one that is formed in an area where the temperature is always below the freezing point. Temperate - A temperate glacier is one that coexists with liquid water. Valley - A valley glacier is one that fills a valley between two mountains.

Read more at: http://www.ducksters.com/science/earth_science/glaciers.php
This text is Copyright © Ducksters. Do not use without permission.
               
                             (Taken from Ducksters)
            

Soap and salt

What are salts? 

In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that are formed from the neutralization reactions of an acid and a base. Salts have certain properties:Salts are made up of an equal number of anions (negative ions) and cations (positive ions)They are hard and brittleMost salts dissolve in water and are solids at room temperatureThey have strong bonds and a relatively high boiling pointSalts are electrically neutralIn their solid state, they arrange themselves in a rigid structure called a latticeSalts come in a variety of tastes and colors. Some salts are not safe to eat. 

Table Salt 

What most people call "salt" is the chemical compound sodium chloride. It has the chemical formula NaCl. Sodium chloride dissolves in water and is what makes the ocean water salty. 

Salt is necessary for animal life. It is also used to enhance the taste of our foods and to preserve foods. 

Soap is a Salt 

In chemistry, soap is a type of salt. This is because it is formed from the mixing of an acid and a base. 

How does soap work? 

Soaps and detergents help to clean clothes, skin, dirty dishes, and other items by dissolving grease. Detergents are made up of special molecules. Part of these molecules is attracted to water. The other part is attracted to grease. The part that is attracted to grease will dissolve the grease and break it up into smaller components that can then be rinsed away by water. 

How is soap made? 

Humans have made soap all the way back to the ancient civilizations of the Babylonians and the Egyptians. For many years soap was made from a mixture of ashes, animal fat, and water. Although we no longer make soap the same way, the chemistry for making modern soap is very similar. 

Today soap is often made from a combination of fats and sodium hydroxide. As the soap is formed, the byproduct of glycerol is removed. Once the raw soap is produced, other ingredients like perfumes and colors can be added. The chemical process used to make soaps is called saponification. 

Interesting Facts about Soaps and SaltsSalts can be made by mixing an acid and a base or an acid and a metal.Thallium salt was once used as rat and ant poison.The green color of an emerald is because of small amounts of the salt chromium oxide.Around 250 million tons of salt was produced in 2010. Most of it is produced by the evaporation of ocean water and salt lakes.Glycerol, the byproduct of soap manufacturing, is used for making other chemical compounds such as plastics and explosives.Several different salts go into the manufacture of glass.Liquid soap was not invented until the late 1800s.Soap is a key ingredient in many lubricating greases.

                                (Taken from Ducksters)

https://youtu.be/qnxYiaHRPFY