Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-06-18
Science Answering Simple Questions.

Why IL rain water soft y Because It is not
impregnated with earth and minerals.
Why is it more easy TO wash with sot wa
ter than with hardy Because soft water
unites freely with soap, and disSOlves It in
stead Of decomposing it, as hard water does.
Why do wood ashes make hard water soft
1st Because the carbOnic acid Of wood
ashes combines with the sulphats Of lime in
tho hard water, and converts It into chalk -
I'd, wood ashes convert some Of the soluble
salts Of water into insoluble and throw them
down rs = sediment by which the water re.
mains more pure.
Why has rain water such an unpleasant
smell when il is collected in rain tub or tank
Because it is imprcgnated with decOmposed
organic matters washed from the roofs, trses,
or the casks in which it 10 collected.
Why does water melt saltf Because very
minute particles Of water inSinuate themselves
into the pores Of the salt BY capillary attrac-
ton, and force the crystals from each other
How does blowing hot foods make them
coolS 1t causes the air which has been heat
cd by food to change more rapidly, and give
place to fresh cold air.
Why do ladies fan themselves In hot wealth
cry That fresh parties Ofair may be brought
IN with their face by action Of the fan; and
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heat from the skin, this constant change
makes them cool.
Does fan cool the air! No, Il makes the
air hotter, by imparting to it the heat Of our
face; but it cools our face by transferring its
heat to the air.
Why is there always strong draught un-
der the door and through the crevices on each
side! Because cold air ruyhes from the hall
to supply the void in the room caused by the
escape Of warm air up the chimney, &c.
Why is there always . strong draught
through the keyhOle Of doOrY Because the
air In the room we occupy il warmer than the
air in the hall therefore the air from the
hall rusheS through the keyhole into the room,
and causes q draught.
Why is there always draught through the
window crcviceSI Because the external air,
being colder than the air Of the room we oc.
cupy, ruShcs through the window creviccs to
supply tho deficiency caused by the escape Of
the warm mir up the chimney.
| If you open the lower sash Of window
there is more draught than II you open the
upper sash. Explain the reason Of this. If
the lower sash be open, cold external air will
rush freely into the room and cause q great
draught inward; but il the upper sash be
open, the heated air Of the room rusLes out,
and, Of course, there will be less drAught in
ward.
by which means is q room better ventilated
by opening the upper sash Because the
hot, vitiatcd air, which always Ascends to-
wards the ceiling, can escape more easily.
BY which means is hot room more quickly
cOoled-by opening the upper or lower sash ?
A hot room is cooled more quickly by the
lower sash, because tho cool air can Cntcr
more freely at the lower part Of the room than
at the upper.
Why does the wind dry damp lincnt Be-
cause dry wind, like dry sponge, inbibes
the particles Of vapOr from the surface Of the
linen as fast as they are formed.
Which is the hottest place in the church or
chapelr- The gallery.
Why is the gallery Of al public places hot
ter than the lower parts Of the buildings!-
Because the heated sir Of the building ascends,
and all the cold air which can enter through
the doors and windows keeps to the floor till
it has become heated.
Why do plants often grow out Of walls and
towers! Either because the wind blew the
seeds there with the dust; or else because
some bird, flying over, dropped seed there,
which it had formerly eaten.