Adventure Ausrama Blog

The chemistry of lighting a match. If you want to see in a dark room, light a match. It's simple isn't it? Not so fast, it is actually quite complex. A slow motion video at 40,000 frames per second shows the process. The completed video spreads out 0.10 of a second into one and a half minutes. Ignition takes place inside the "live" head of the match. It is just a little explosion followed by "slow" burn. The chemical blob does not burst into pieces. I holds together with small bits rolling to the outside surface.  It looks a planet exploding. The main ingredient of a match head is antimony trisulfide : potassium chlorate makes this burn. Ammonium phosphate is also there to reduce particles from escaping, but some smoke is inevitable. Paraffin wax coats the match down to the halfway mark to ensure the flame continues on down the matchstick. Powdered glass and red phosphate in the strike strip on the side of the matchbox ignites by f...

In a country where swearing in public is an accepted part of normal life it seems odd for Australian authorities to threaten tennis players with fines for doing it on court. At least it remains only a slim possibility at the moment. The problem is that professional tennis is televised in general viewing hours when children could be watching. Andy Murray, at the center of debate for swearing in his match with Denis Istomin, says he will not tone down his behavior. He could have been a little more diplomatic and announced that he would sincerely mend his ways. In a challenge with tennis authorities he would definitely lose. Sarcasm about moving the microphones further away from the court must surely be a joke. Spectators want to experience as much of the action as possible. Blaming other players for swearing more than himself is unsportsmanlike. Saying that swearing in languages other than English goes unnoticed is a bit "iffy" as well. http://www.adventure--...