Science of Technology
Semiconductors, touchscreens, refrigeration, timekeeping, cameras, batteries and structures.
Lenses, magnification and cameras
Curved lenses redirect light to form images, allowing eyes, cameras, microscopes and telescopes to focus or magnify details.
GuideHow batteries store and deliver energy
A battery uses chemical reactions to create an electrical potential difference between its terminals.
GuideHow everyday electronics use semiconductors
Semiconductors are materials whose electrical behaviour can be controlled, allowing transistors to act as switches and amplifiers.
GuideHow capacitive touchscreens detect a finger
Many phones and tablets use a grid of transparent conductors that senses changes in an electric field when a conductive object such as a finger approaches or touches.
GuideHow refrigerators and heat pumps move heat
Refrigerators and heat pumps use a circulating refrigerant and mechanical work to move thermal energy from a cooler region to a warmer one.
GuideHow modern clocks keep time
Clocks count regular physical oscillations, from pendulums and quartz crystals to atomic transitions.
GuideThe science behind bridges
Bridge design manages forces from the structure itself, vehicles, wind, temperature and other loads through materials and geometry.
GuideWhat recycling can and cannot do to materials
Recycling collects and reprocesses materials, but the science and economics depend on contamination, separation, material degradation and available markets.