How do plastics work? What is actually in a plastic?

FromBrainStuff

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How do plastics work? What is actually in a plastic?

FromBrainStuff

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Length:

6 minutes

Released:

Feb 11, 2015

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Plastics have become so ubiquitous that we often take them for granted, but have you ever wondered where these popular materials come from? In this episode, Marshall explains what plastics are made of. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Released:

Feb 11, 2015

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

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How Uninterruptible Power Supplies Work: An uninterruptible power supply protects computers against surges, spikes, sags, and total power failure. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about uninterruptible power supplies. by BrainStuff
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How Fountains in Rome Work: Built before the invention of electric pumps, fountains in Rome were powered through an ingenious system of gravity, cisterns, and aqueducts. Learn more about fountains in Rome in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
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Can grilling meat really cause cancer?: Lots of people like to grill their meat, but this popular cooking method has been linked to cancer. Discover how chemical reactions make grilled meat potentially carcinogenic in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
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Are florescent bulbs really more efficient?: Customers are increasingly choosing long-lasting alternatives to traditional incandescent lights. But are florescent lightbulbs really more efficient than traditional lightbulbs? Listen in and find out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
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Why the Sky is Blue?: As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, particles in the air scatter blue light more efficiently than any other color in the light spectrum, creating a blue sky. Learn more about the sky and light in this Brainstuff podcast. by BrainStuff
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How Breathing in a Submarine Work: For air in a submarine to remain usable, three things must happen: The oxygen must be replenished as it is consumed, the carbon dioxide must be removed from the air, and the moisture in human breath must also be removed. by BrainStuff
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What is an MRE?: An MRE -- or meal ready to eat -- contains precooked, sterilized food originally made to nourish soldiers. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the retort packaging that makes MREs possible. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
How Maple Syrup Works: The clear, thin sap of Maple trees must be boiled down to create maple syrup -- it takes about 30 to 40 gallons of sap to create one gallon of syrup. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about Maple syrup. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How does SETI at home work?: SETI -- the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence -- is an enormous, global undertaking meant to detect signs of life beyond our solar system. Learn how you can help from home in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Perceiving Earth as a Sphere Works: Is there any way that people could know the world is sphere while standing on the earth? Learn more about perceiving earth as a sphere in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
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How Gun Silencers Work: The sound of gunfire is incredibly loud, and it is amazing that anything is able to silence a firearm. However, the principle behind a gun silencer is surprisingly simple. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about silencers. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Catapults Works: There are three different technologies that fall into the catapult category: the ballista, the trebuchet and the catapult. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the differences between catapult technologies. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How much fuel does an international airplane use for a trip?: A Boeing 747 uses approximately one galloon of fuel per second -- over the course of a ten hour flight, it might burn 36,00 galloons of fuel. How does this compare to a car? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about airplane mileage. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How the Corvette ZR1 Works: The 2009 Corvette ZR1 combines several technical innovations to produce a turbo-charged, eight-cylinder engine. Learn more about the Corvette ZR1 in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Is it possible to get free land and free houses in the U.S.?: In the 1860s, the Homestead Act provided free land to settlers. Is there anything like that in 2010? In this episode, Marshall explains why and how it's possible to acquire land and houses for free -- or really cheaply -- in the United States today. by BrainStuff
6 min listen
How a GFCI outlet works: A normal 120 volt outlet in the US has two vertical slots and a role hole centered below the slots -- the outlets with a pair of red and black 'test' and 'reset' buttons are known as GCFI outlets. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
When I pay for groceries by check, where does that check go?: When you write a check to purchase goods and services, it passes through the hands of several banks before the process is complete. Marshall explains how checks are processed through intermediary banks in this episode. by BrainStuff
5 min listen
How much fuel does an airplane use for a trip?: A Boeing 747 uses approximately one galloon of fuel per second -- over the course of a ten hour flight, it might burn 36,00 galloons of fuel. How does this compare to a car? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about airplane mileage. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
What exactly is jello made from?: Jello is tasty, colorful and fun to eat, but what's in it? One of its ingredients, gelatin, comes from animals. Marshall Brain breaks down the chemistry of jello and gelatin in this episode. by BrainStuff
5 min listen
How gas pumps work: Next time you're filling up your tank at a gas station, ask yourself this: how does the nozzle know when the tank is full? Learn more about gas pumps in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
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How Car Thermostats Work: Any liquid-cooled car engine has a thermostat that blocks the flow of coolant to the radiator. Learn how the thermostat works to reduce wear, deposits and emissions in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Vacuums Work: If a balloon was filled by a vacuum -- rather than helium or air -- would it float? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn the science behind balloons and vacuum. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How do satellites orbit the Earth?: In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall explains the physics behind satellites and orbits. by BrainStuff
3 min listen

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How do plastics work? What is actually in a plastic?

How do plastics work? What is actually in a plastic?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from BrainStuff

Related podcast episodes