Tuesday, September 27, 2005

The Cheese is in Italy.

I hope she has some good stories to tell when she gets back.
One of these days I'll get my s**t together and start traveling the world again.


On a bright note...Ros and I went out and picked tile for the apartment bathroom tonight. We're going with a mosaic sheet tile for the floor and 4x4 bisque (how funny is that) tile for the tub surround. And we picked a paint color (marshmallow) the night before that actually matches so I'll go pick that up tomorrow and start getting the paint on the walls. I'll probably go get the tile tomorrow too...since the van has to go back to John (my mechanic) on Thursday...it's having radiator issues :(

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Ok...so this is a question.

If you take a piece of metal and heat it...what happens on a molecular level is that all of the little atomic particles get excited and start moving around real fast, right?

Ok...Now my question is this...When the metal cools back down does it return to it’s original atomic state or do the particles remain somewhat excited even after the metal has cooled?

I ask my question based on experience with heating pieces of metal repeatedly while trying in various ways to keep them cool.

One of the things that I believe I have found through experimentation and observation (which is mainly what leads me to this discussion) is that when a piece of metal is heated and then rapidly cooled (at varying speeds using several different means) that piece of metal when heated again (even if I’m starting with a piece that is much colder than what I originally started with) seems to re-heat MUCH faster than it heated up originally. And also faster than a piece allowed to cool naturally over a longer period of time.

Have I done actual recorded scientific experimentation?
No.

But...I am basing this on an incredibly huge library of personal experience so I feel pretty comfortable with the accuracy of my observations.

And just so we’re clear...I’m not talking about large pieces of metal where the core temperature could be substantially higher than the surface temperature. I mean little pieces of metal that are heated from room temperature the first time and from various temperatures thereafter some well below room temperature.



Ok...so once again, my question is this:

When metal is heated and cools back down does it return to it’s original atomic state or do the particles remain somewhat excited even after the metal has physically cooled?