Monthly Archives: March 2014
55.WHAT IS COPPER?
Man discovered copper before any other metal except gold. Before the dawn of history, it was used by Stone Age men.
Copper is found in a fairly pure state, in lumps and grains of free metal. Probably men first picked up the lumps because they were pretty. Then they made the great discovery that these strange red stones could be beaten into any shape. This was an easier method of making weapons and knives than chipping away at flints.
54.WHAT IS AN INDUSTRIAL DIAMOND?
The only difference between an industrial diamond and any other kind of diamond is that the industrial diamond is of an inferior grade. If it were of perfect quality, beautiful in color and without a flaw, the diamond would, of course, be used in jewelry, where it brings higher prices.
It may seem astonishing to you that something as precious as a diamond is used in industry at all, but the diamond has been called the “emperor of industry!”
53.WHAT IS AN AVALANCHE?
An avalanche is a sliding mass of snow, or ice, or wet earth and stones. An avalanche of earth and stones is a kind of landslide. It can happen even in regions without snow. A steep mountainside or bluff becomes thoroughly soaked with water, or is weakened in some other way. The earth can no longer stand in such a steep slope without sliding, and an avalanche begins.
