Recent comments in /f/explainlikeimfive

YardageSardage t1_iug8yv7 wrote

Reply to eli5. why is snow white but ice is clear?? by Divide-Pretend

Ice, like glass, is clear because its crystalline internal structure allows light to pass through more or less freely. Remember, we see objects by detecting the light bouncing off of those objects. Something clear has a structure that light can pass through instead of bouncing off of, although every edge and imperfection scatters that light a little bit more.

Snow is like ice, except that instead of being made of a big smooth sheet, it's made out of a billion little flakes in all different shapes that pile up against each other at all sorts of angles. All of those edges and angles and irregularities scatter the light so much that it never gets the chance to go all the way through. So the snow is opaque instead, and looks white to us.

Fun fact: If you take a bit of snow and squish it really tightly and warm it a little bit, like in your hand, you can make a little piece of mostly-clear ice out of it. You're basically deforming all those snowflake shapes and pressing them together into a continuous piece, which makes their structure smooth enough to let light start passing through again.

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DiabeticPissingSyrup t1_iug8eqx wrote

Reply to ELI5: If you drink a gallon of milk a day before it’s expiration date, would it go bad in your stomach and make you sick? Or would nothing happen? by br0ken-rec0rd

The expiry isn't going to be your problem.

Firstly, expiry dates have a little wiggle room in them. That's when the thing is becoming a risk, not when it's instantly dangerous.

Secondly... Go Google "Jackass gallon milk". It doesn't end well .

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BlowjobPete t1_iug8cxw wrote

Reply to ELI5: How exactly do we get some much power from engine now, than we did 40, 50, 60 years ago? by Micromashington

There are a few reasons, but it mainly comes down to increased efficiencies at mixing air and fuel.

Older engines had carburetors. These were mechanical devices that mixed air and fuel for the engine to burn. Carburetors were not nearly as efficient as fuel injection, which is the technology cars use today. Fuel injection gets a near-perfect air-to-fuel ratio delivered into the engine.

Older cars had pushrods for their air intake and air exhaust systems. Modern cars have overhead cams with Variable Valve Timing (VVT). The way old cars let air into their engines was completely static - now, cars can control how much air the send into the engine and change the amount of air sent into the engine at different engine speeds to create more efficient fuel burning.

Due to advances in manufacturing, engines now also have higher compression and can withstand higher speeds.

Finally, in regards to the 70s specifically, environmental legislation that came in at that time caused some American manufacturers to detune existing engines (made before the environmental regulations) and make them weak from the factory to meet emissions requirements, instead of designing new engines right away.

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Flair_Helper t1_iug8630 wrote

Reply to ELI5 : How did computers change from the size of a room to the current size? by gxthope

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Flair_Helper t1_iug859w wrote

Reply to ELI5: Why is it easy to drink a large volume of beer, compared to such a large volume of any other liquid? by Proof_Objective_5704

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