"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:47878326$1@news.povray.org...
> Gail Shaw wrote:
>
> >> Dude... Argon??
> >
> > Yes. Not much, but it's there. In fact, it's the most common noble gas,
more
> > prevelent than neon or helium
>
> Interesting. I was under the impression that *all* noble gasses are
> extremely rare...

1% of the atmosphere or so. It's used in a lot of places because it's not so
rare. Often used in fire-extinguishing systems for server rooms

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>> Interesting. I was under the impression that *all* noble gasses are
>> extremely rare...
> 
> 1% of the atmosphere or so. It's used in a lot of places because it's not so
> rare. Often used in fire-extinguishing systems for server rooms

Well, gold is extremely rare, but if you have the cash there's no 
problem with buying some. ;-)

1% of air is certainly a vastly higher figure than I had imagined though.

I know they use Ar for arc welding and such. But the fire extinguisher 
for my server room is CO2. ;-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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gregjohn wrote:
> Bill Pragnell <bil### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
>> Phil Cook wrote:
>>> Water Vapour
>> <pedant>
>> Water vapour is suspended liquid droplets. Steam is the gas phase.
>> </pedant>
> 
> Water vapour is the gas phase.  Steam is the gas phase.

So it is, my mistake. I always thought 'vapour' referred to suspended 
condensation. Wikipedia does mention the frequent misuse of the term.

> And to everyone who said CO2 or Ar, that's not something you can observe in your
> house.  It's about observation of gaseous substances, not merely naming off
> elements a textbook will tell you might be present.

Thought that might be the case! CO is particarly poorly judged then, 
being colourless and odourless.

How about the CO2 bubbles you see when you take the cap off a fizzy 
drink bottle?

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Bill Pragnell wrote:

> Thought that might be the case! CO is particarly poorly judged then, 
> being colourless and odourless.

Chlorine is green - but you do NOT want to play with that stuff...

> How about the CO2 bubbles you see when you take the cap off a fizzy 
> drink bottle?

How about mixing sherbet and water? >:-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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And lo on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:40:52 -0000, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did  
spake, saying:

>> Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Neon, Helium, Water Vapour; or  
>> what you called "air" :-P
>
> Dude... Argon??
>
>> Is smoke a gas, I thought it was airborne particulate?
>
> Depends on what kind. (It's like asking "what chemical is rock?")
>
> Smoke from a wood fire is mostly soot particles. Burning oil produces  
> that charactoristic blue vapour. And so on.

Oh sure it contains gases, I was thinking more along the lines of 'I have  
observed air and I have observed oxygen' that doesn't really count as two  
gases.

>> Your freezer contains a gas, sure you can't observe it directly
>
> Or rather, you can - but please don't! :-S

Well quite :-) Thinking about it if you've got a computer 'air-duster'  
cleaner then that contains a compressed-to-a-liquid gas, normally one of  
the flurocarbons.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:478785f0@news.povray.org...

> I know they use Ar for arc welding and such. But the fire extinguisher
> for my server room is CO2. ;-)

I pity your servers if you ever need to use that.

All the high-end server rooms I've seen or been in have an automated argon
fire extinguishing system.

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>>> Your freezer contains a gas, sure you can't observe it directly
>>
>> Or rather, you can - but please don't! :-S
> 
> Well quite :-) Thinking about it if you've got a computer 'air-duster' 
> cleaner then that contains a compressed-to-a-liquid gas, normally one of 
> the flurocarbons.

Oh, is *that* way it says not to use the can upside down, despite this 
being the most useful configuration? :-)

[Seriously. Why don't they just arrange the innards of the can the other 
way round?]

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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>> I know they use Ar for arc welding and such. But the fire extinguisher
>> for my server room is CO2. ;-)
> 
> I pity your servers if you ever need to use that.
> 
> All the high-end server rooms I've seen or been in have an automated argon
> fire extinguishing system.

Yes.

But then, all the server rooms I've seen [except my one] weren't in a 
garden shed either, so...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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And lo on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:06:23 -0000, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did  
spake, saying:

>>> Interesting. I was under the impression that *all* noble gasses are
>>> extremely rare...
>>  1% of the atmosphere or so. It's used in a lot of places because it's  
>> not so
>> rare. Often used in fire-extinguishing systems for server rooms
>
> Well, gold is extremely rare, but if you have the cash there's no  
> problem with buying some. ;-)
>
> 1% of air is certainly a vastly higher figure than I had imagined though.

I think the fact it doesn't 'do anything' from our limited perception on  
matters makes it seem rarer, a bit like the fact that nitrogen forms a  
greater percentage of air then oxygen sometimes comes as a shock to people.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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And lo on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:15:43 -0000, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did  
spake, saying:

>>>> Your freezer contains a gas, sure you can't observe it directly
>>>
>>> Or rather, you can - but please don't! :-S
>>  Well quite :-) Thinking about it if you've got a computer 'air-duster'  
>> cleaner then that contains a compressed-to-a-liquid gas, normally one  
>> of the flurocarbons.
>
> Oh, is *that* way it says not to use the can upside down, despite this  
> being the most useful configuration? :-)

Yeah, that's why you're spraying liquid around instead of gas.

> [Seriously. Why don't they just arrange the innards of the can the other  
> way round?]

What so the liquid settles at the top of the can, I'd love that bit of  
technology. I know what you mean and it's called price - hollow can,  
liquid, nozzle. Would you prefer faffing about with two-skin cans or just  
print a warning on the side and blame the user when they don't read it?


-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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