HOW NATURAL GAS WAS FORMED?

Millions of years ago, the remains of plants and animals decayed and built up in thick layers. This decayed matter from plants and animals is called organic material -- it was once alive. Over time, the mud and soil changed to rock, covered the organic material and trapped it beneath the rock. Pressure and heat changed some of this organic material into coal, some into oil (petroleum), and some into natural gas -- tiny bubbles of odorless gas. The main ingredient in natural gas is methane, a gas (or compound) composed of one carbon atom and

four hydrogen atoms. In some places, gas escapes from small gaps in the rocks into the air; then, if there is enough activation energy from lightning or a fire, it burns. When people first saw the flames, they experimented with them and learned they could use

them for heat and light.

HOW WE GET NATURAL GAS

The search for natural gas begins with geologists (people who study the structure of the earth) locating the types of rock that are usually found near gas and oil deposits. Today their tools include seismic surveys that are used to find the right places to drill wells. Seismic surveys use echoes from a vibration source at the earth’s surface (usually a vibrating pad under a truck built for this purpose) to collect information about the rocks beneath. Sometimes it is necessary to use small amounts of dynamite to provide the vibration that is needed.

Scientists and engineers explore a chosen area by studying rock samples from the earth and taking measurements. If the site seems promising, drilling begins. Some of these areas are on land but many are offshore, deep in the ocean. Once the gas is found, it flows up through the well to the surface of the ground and into large pipelines. Some of the gases that are produced along with methane, such as butane and propane (also known as 'by-products'), are separated and cleaned at a gas processing plant. The by-products, once removed, are used in a number of ways. For example, propane can be used for cooking on gas grills. Because natural gas is colorless, odorless and tasteless,mercaptan (a chemical that has a sulfur like odor) is added before distribution, to give it a distinct unpleasant odor (smells like rotten eggs). This serves as a safety device by allowing it to be detected in the atmosphere, in cases where leaks occur. Most of the natural gas consumed in the United States is produced in the United States. Some is imported from Canada and shipped to the United States in pipelines. Increasingly natural gas is also being shipped to the United States as liquefied natural gas(LNG).

Comments

HOW CAN WE MOTIVATE OURSELVES MORE EFFECTIVELY THROUGH REINFORCEMENT?

•We'd all like to be more effective in reaching our goals, and according to behaviorists, the way to improve our effectiveness is by rewarding ourselves for the little steps that take us closer and closer to those desirable outcomes. •First, find something you really like to do or something you'd like to have that can, realistically, serve as a reward. •Then, take the goal that you are hoping to achieve that, realistically, you could achieve but just haven't succeeded at yet. •Next, work backward from that goal to your present state. •Arrange to give yourself those desired rewards as you inch closer from where you are now to the desired end point. •As you start to make progress, only give yourself a reward when you've moved forward from where you are now. •For example, if you'd like to cut back on your television watching and instead read more often, reward yourself by allowing yourself to watch television only when you've read for 20 minu...

WHY DO WE SLEEP AND DREAM?

•We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. •Why do we invest so much time in sleep? •The most straight forward answer is that, sleep is restorative, and it replenishes the body's energy stores. •However, intense neural activity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage in which most dreams occur, suggests there may be more to the story. •One theory, which by far has the largest body of evidence, is that sleep plays a critical role in learning and consolidating memories. •It is probably why infants and toddlers need up to 14 hours of sleep a day, with half of it spent in REM sleep. •In adults, dreams may also play a role in brain plasticity and learning, which is why sleep-deprived adults perform worse in memory tests and tasks.

Clouds are just water vapor, so why do they move?

Clouds are just water vapor , so why do they move ? •Clouds are not water vapor. Water vapor is the gas state of H 2 O and is invisible. •The air around you on a humid summer day is chock full of water vapor, but you don't see any of it. •On the other hand, there is very little water vapor in the air during the cold of winter, yet you can easily make clouds with your breath. •Clouds are collections of liquid water droplets or ice that are small enough to float. •When the water vapor in the air gets cold enough, it condenses back into liquid in the forms of droplets. •But the condensation is not automatic. It takes a bit of matter – a condensation nucleus – in order to jump start the process. Dust, salt, and ice in the air do the trick by providing a surface for the water to condense on to. •Clouds are white because the water droplets making the cloud are the right size to scatter light resonantly according to Mie scattering. •Mie scatte...

Knowledge N Fact4u

Search This Blog