Asked by a student in Mrs. Carson’s class at Sunnyside Elementary Answered by Brian Tonks, Professor of Physics – BYU-Idaho Answer: Our Sun is a typical normal star, like 80-90% of other stars in the sky. Astronomers call these stars “Main Sequence” stars. So, what does that mean? What makes a normal star different than…
Answered by Kevin Claver – ESER / Health Physicist When comparing the events of the bombing of Nagasaki and the Chernobyl accident there are many factors that play a role in the resulting contamination of each area. The following discussion will not be exhaustive; however, it will mention two of the big factors.Before we talk…
Question Answered by Brian A Pyper, PhD, Professor of Physics, BYU-Idaho Director of Physics Education Light comes from electrons in their shells around atoms getting excited and falling back down to lower energy levels. When they do this they emit the energy difference as light. Regular light will usually come from lots of different kinds…
Question Answered by Dr. Brian Tonks, Astronomy Professor, BYU-Idaho On 21 August, 2016, Southeastern Idaho and many other places in the United States are in for a rare treat. We will experience a total Solar eclipse. This means that the Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun and cast its shadow on the…
Question answered by Dr. Brian Tonks, Astronomy Professor, BYU-Idaho The highest point on Earth is the peak of Mt. Everest, 29,029 feet (8850 meters) above sea level. At this elevation, the atmosphere is thin compared to at sea level. Pictures taken from the top of Everest on a clear day distinctly show that the sky…
Question answered by Marilyn Case, Health Physicist, GSS ESER Program www.gsseser.com Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as it goes – the visible light that comes from a lamp in your house and the radio waves that come from a radio station are two types of electromagnetic (EM) radiation. The other types of…
