Imagination Station, Toledo’s hands-on science center, is a vital non-profit organization that is an integral part of Toledo’s economic, educational and social landscape. Imagination Station provides a critical layer of science enrichment by serving as an educational partner for teachers, schools and parents. It’s with a thoughtful blend of exhibits, experiences, education and excitement that Imagination Station is inspiring future generations of scientists in Northwest Ohio. With hundreds of hands-on exhibits and demonstrations, Imagination Station delivers a multi-sensory experience that’s as fun as it is educational.
Imagination Station's mission is to serve the community by providing informal science education and fun in order to spark a passion for the sciences by combining interactive exhibits and educational programming.
I notice this effect on my new glasstop stove every time I boil water for tea. I also noticed it as a kid when I would heat up knife blades with a lighter and pour water on them
Magnesium's melting point and boiling point are surprisingly close together. Its ability to grab oxygen atoms make it useful in the castings industry for reducing porosity. About 30 years ago I worked in a factory that made precision lost wax castings. The technical director was smart, (he made one of the first single crystal turbine blades) and did not like to turn down any job. An unusual alloy had been requested and none of the usual degassing tricks were working. One of his contacts said steel tube filled with magnesium worked, cut it to length and throw it in the liquid metal. The water cooled induction heaters being used was only the size of a medium bucket so with the right PPE you could stand next to it. The director had cut excess of the tubing, marked a line at the exact amount he needed and thrust it into the white hot melt. Pause and see if you can work out what happened next. He was very familiar with aluminium which melts 660C and boils at 2470C. Magnesium melts at 650C (red heat) and boils at 1091C (yellow heat), the melt was at 1500C (white heat), so it boiled then ignited in the air. The magnesium oxide powder would have landed on the director had he not combined the long jump with the high jump! The castings? The director found something else that did the job without being so flashy.
