AboutPhilip Carlson Ph.D. (Cand.) Expertise Prefer questions regarding general chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry. Have less knowledge about organic chemistry but can help with most undergraduate organic chemistry questions not related to reactions and their mechanisms.
Experience Highly experienced in physical chemistry both theoretical and experimental. Current research focus is fluorescence spectroscopy and electronic structure theory (e.g. quantum mechanics). Past research focus was in analytical chemistry in the area of photocatalysis.
Organizations American Chemical Society;
Society of Christian Philosophers;
Evangelical Philosophical Society
Publications Lori A. Pretzer, Philp J. Carlson, and Joel E. Boyd. "The effect of Pt oxidation state and concentration on the photocatalytic removal of aqueous ammonia with Pt-modified titania." J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chemistry. 200 (2008) 246-253. ;
Philip J. Carlson, Lori A. Pretzer, and Joel E. Boyd. "Solvent Deposition of titanium dioxide on acrylic for photocatalytic application." Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 46 (2007) 7970-7976.
Education/Credentials A.S. in Chemistry from Garden City Community College, Garden City, KS;
B.S. in Mathematics from Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, TX;
B.S. in Chemistry from Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, TX;
Ph.D. (Cand.) in Physical Chemistry at Iowa State University, Ames, IA;
B.A. in Evangelism and Missions;
M.A. in Theological studies (In progress) from Louisiana Baptist University
Question I was taking some honey from a jar of set Honey and the strangest question entered my mind! If you put a spoon in slowly it sinks easily as the honey moves around it/away from it. If you put the spoon in much faster, it seems to almost tense up and is harder to do so. My question is: If you fell into a vat of set honey, would you sink, or would the viscosity of it make it too hard and would you merely cause an indentation and sit at the top? Would you then sink and therefore drown, or would you remain at the surface/depth to which you ended up upon falling in, in the first place? An odd thought, but I was wondering if it would help. (Might even make a good conversation point in a Physics or Chemistry class???).
Non-Newtonian fluids are very interesting due to the fact that they normally go against our everyday experience. Under certain conditions honey can be a non-Newtonian fluid. Very astute observation you have made here!
So the apparent viscosity decreases with the duration of the stress applied. Initially when the spoon is put in faster it appeared to "tense up" then I imagine that it sank in just as you suppose you would if this example were made life-size.
If you fell into a vat of set honey under the correct conditions (as experienced in your jar) you would initially be able to sit on top (sticky I'm sure). But in seconds you would be sinking and faster than if you were lighter (as the apparent viscosity decreased while you were "stressing" it). Very thought provoking question. Thank you
