Scientists Say: Absorb and Adsorb

activated carbon: (also known as activated charcoal) A form of carbon that comes as a powder or small granules. It is used to filter out things that may be harmful, smelly or impart a bad taste. The impurities sorb (attach) to the carbon. The small size of the particles increases the carbon’s surface area. So does the particles’ rough surface, which — like a sponge — has lots of pores that offer even more places for the impurities to attach.

adsorb: To stick to — or adhere — to the outer surface of another material. Sunscreen stays on because it adsorbs onto your skin’s surface.

adsorption: The process by which a substance sticks to, or adheres, to the outer surface of another material. Sunscreen stays on your skin because of adsorption.

carbon: A chemical element that is the physical basis of all life on Earth. Carbon exists freely as graphite and diamond. It is an important part of coal, limestone and petroleum, and is capable of self-bonding, chemically, to form an enormous number of chemically, biologically and commercially important molecules.

fiber: Something whose shape resembles a thread or filament. (in nutrition) Components of many fibrous plant-based foods. These so-called non-digestible fibers tend to come from cellulose, lignin, and pectin — all plant constituents that resist breakdown by the body’s digestive enzymes.

filter: (n.) Something that allows some materials to pass through but not others, based on their size or some other feature. (v.) The process of screening some things out on the basis of traits such as size, density, electric charge.

liquid: A material that flows freely but keeps a constant volume, like water or oil.

nutrient: A vitamin, mineral, fat, carbohydrate or protein that a plant, animal or other organism requires as part of its food in order to survive.

particle: A minute amount of something.

photosynthesis: (verb: photosynthesize) The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to produce foods from carbon dioxide and water.

physics: The scientific study of the nature and properties of matter and energy. Classical physics is an explanation of the nature and properties of matter and energy that relies on descriptions such as Newton’s laws of motion. Quantum physics, a field of study that emerged later, is a more accurate way of explaining the motions and behavior of matter. A scientist who works in such areas is known as a physicist.

pore: A tiny hole in a surface. On the skin, substances such as oil, water and sweat pass through these openings.

sound wave: A wave that transmits sound. Sound waves have alternating swaths of high and low pressure.

surface area: The area of some material’s surface. In general, smaller materials and ones with rougher or more convoluted surfaces have a greater exterior surface area — per unit mass — than larger items or ones with smoother exteriors. That becomes important when chemical, biological or physical processes occur on a surface.

wave: A disturbance or variation that travels through space and matter in a regular, oscillating fashion.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}