Human stomach can dissolve a razor blade, and the Eiffel Tower "grows" by 15 cm in summer: five astounding scientific facts

Scientists and laboratories around the world are exploring various fields of knowledge, studying not only everything around us but also the depths of space. And sometimes what they learn turns our understanding of reality upside down.

For example, the human stomach is capable of dissolving a razor blade, and the most prominent architectural landmark in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, "grows" by 15 centimeters every summer. OBOZ.UA has collected explanations for five scientific facts about the planet and people that are impressive.

1. The human stomach can dissolve razor blades

The stomach digests food thanks to caustic hydrochloric acid with a high pH (hydrogen content). Acids are rated on a scale from 0 to 14 (the lower the PH level, the stronger the acid). The acidity of human gastric juice usually reaches 1.0-2.0, and scientists believe that it has the power to dissolve a razor blade. At the same time, the acid also affects the gastric mucosa, which, however, is completely renewed every four days.

As for the blade, this is theoretical. After all, if it miraculously ends up in the stomach, the epithelium will be repeatedly damaged, which will lead to internal bleeding. Thus, the oxidation process will not have time to complete before either the surgeon removes the blade or the human body stops functioning (i.e., producing acid and mixing/pumping the contents of the stomach) due to the injuries.

2. There are more trees on the planet than stars in the solar system

According to NASA experts, there are up to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, but the number of trees on Earth is estimated at more than 3 trillion.

3. Water can boil and freeze at the same time

In science, this is known as the "triple point". This process occurs when the temperature and pressure are sufficient for the three phases (gas, liquid, and solid) of a substance to coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium.

4. Hawaii is getting closer to Alaska every year

The Earth's crust consists of several huge parts, tectonic plates. These plates are constantly moving along with the upper layer of the mantle. Hawaii is located in the middle part of the Pacific plate, which is slowly drifting northwestward towards the North American plate, where Alaska is located. Interestingly, tectonic plates move at the same rate as human fingernails grow.

5. The Eiffel Tower "grows" by 15 cm in summer

It took more than 6300 tons of iron alone to create this unique piece of modern architecture. However, it turns out that this huge structure was built with special temperature compensators, thanks to which the steel from which the tower is made can expand and contract without damage.

In summer, when the steel heats up, it begins to expand and takes up more volume. This is called thermal expansion. Conversely, when the temperature drops in winter, it shrinks and contracts. That is why the height of the Eiffel Tower differs by 15 cm in winter and summer.

For this reason, in general, all large structures, such as bridges, are built with expansion joints that allow them to change in size without damage.

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