Yearly Archives: 2015

Why is an atom spherical in shape?

When we talk of the shape of an atom, we are referring to the shape of the imaginary volume in which the atom’s electrons orbit. Different electrons orbit at different levels and even at the same level they take different orbits. The shape of the atom depends on several factors, including the and the electrostatic forces between atomic particles. It …

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Why is a transformer core always cubical in shape?

It is not true that cores are always cubical. Current Transformers and Potential Transformers have ringtype cores. Power transformers have cubical cores. The ideal transformer is to have all the magnetic flux produced by one winding linking the other. This is not attained in practical transformers. Flux that does not link both windings is called leakage flux and has the …

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Why is a new clock timed 10:10?

I personally think that the 10:10 position (sometimes 10:12 or 10:08) was adopted for pictures of clocks and watches because it is symmetric and looks better. Today the symmetric positions are both aesthetic and customary. Other symmetric hand positions are also used, but not as frequently. Examples include 8:20, 8:18, and 2:50. Reviewing some Seth Thomas clock catalog illustrations, I …

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Why is a diesel engine more efficient than the petrol engine?

The diesel engine is more efficient than the petrol engine because of its greater thermal efficiency. This means that the ratio of the work done by the engine to the amount of heat supplied is higher. Since the heat in this case comes from fuel-oil, it is not possible to convert all the heat energy in the fuel into useful …

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Why is a blunderbuss so called?

Blunderbuss probably derives its name from the German donder buchse, ‘thunder gun’. The gun was built with a bell-shaped barrel – wider at the muzzle than the breech. This amplified the noise of the explosion. The weapon was loaded with a number of small balls and it was thought that the bell-mouth would cause the shot to spread. But it …

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Why is a 10-watt bulb known as a zero bulb?

Technically, it is not possible to light an electric bulb without drawing input greater than zero watts. Zero watts is actually not zero, but refers to the minimum wattage. The inaccurate electric meters of the early days could not measure such a negligible amount of consumption as during those days, the watt hour meter had a rotating disc and when …

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Sunil Bharti Mittal

Sunil Bharti Mittal, (born 23 October 1957) is an Indian telecom mogul, philanthropist and the founder, chairman and managing director of Bharti Enterprises. The US$7.2 billion turnover company runs India’s largest GSM-based mobile phone service. He is the son of Sat Paul (former MP) and Lalita. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honor. Early …

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