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How Does Smell Travel?

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  • 26-03-2015 6:01pm
    #1
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,418 ✭✭✭✭


    If I light a Incense Stick in the kitchen for example I can smell it two rooms away almost immediately.
    Does it travel like ripples in a pond from one molecule to another?


Comments

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    #2
    Spunge
    Registered Users Posts: 2,779 ✭✭✭Spunge


    im gonna guess: convection


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    #3
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    How can you be in the Kitchen and 2 rooms away at the same time ?

    21/25



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    #4
    Ruu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,622 ✭✭✭Ruu


    Osmosis


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    #5
    Digital Solitude
    Registered Users Posts: 11,397 ✭✭✭✭Digital Solitude


    Alternating Current


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    #6
    whiskeyman
    Registered Users Posts: 12,564 ✭✭✭✭whiskeyman


    smell travels as quickly as you start threads...






    (v quick)


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    #7
    dont bother
    Closed Accounts Posts: 542 ✭✭✭dont bother


    You can only smell things because tiny particles and molecules of the substance go into your nose and stick to the inner lining. no mystery.

    it doesnt travel, as such.


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    #8
    Big Nasty
    Registered Users Posts: 22,080 ✭✭✭✭Big Nasty


    Smells are particulate. When you smell the incense it's little particles of the incense releasing in to the air you can smell.

    Similarly when you smell a fart you're breathing sh1t. ;)


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    #9
    Delirium
    Moderators Posts: 51,733 ✭✭✭✭Delirium


    kneemos wrote: »
    If I light a Incense Stick in the kitchen for example I can smell it two rooms away almost immediately.
    Does it travel like ripples in a pond from one molecule to another?

    I'm more interested in how you mastered bi-location! :eek::D

    If you can read this, you're too close!



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    #10
    steddyeddy
    Registered Users Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    Brownian motion but what is smell? Smell is a sense. Molecules are what give us our sense of smell. A molecule binds to a receptor which activates Proteins called g-protein coupled receptors. These transfer the signal to the brain (really condensed version). A good question is how the molecules produce different smells? Some molecules are mirror images (enantiomers) of each other which have the same chemical formula but differing orientation of the atoms in space. Thalidomide was synthesised as two enantiomers, one causing deformities in the other didn't. It turns out that quantum effects in biology I.e the vibrational state of the molecule are what inform smell rather than simple lock and key chemistry.


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    #11
    Spunge
    Registered Users Posts: 2,779 ✭✭✭Spunge


    steddyeddy wrote: »
    It turns out that quantum effects in biology I.e the vibrational state of the molecule are what inform smell rather than simple lock and key chemistry.

    dammit


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    #12
    CINCLANTFLT
    Closed Accounts Posts: 781 ✭✭✭CINCLANTFLT


    The whole "A fart is someone's **** particles in your nose" thing has always distributed me...


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    #13
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,418 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    CINCLANTFLT wrote: »
    The whole "A fart is someone's **** particles in your nose" thing has always distributed me...

    Good to get around sure.


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    #14
    corner of hells
    Registered Users Posts: 8,363 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    uch wrote: »
    How can you be in the Kitchen and 2 rooms away at the same time ?

    His split personality.


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    #15
    Kevin McCloud
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,797 ✭✭✭Kevin McCloud


    Did the google not have any information op?


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    #16
    Whosthis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,342 ✭✭✭Whosthis


    kneemos wrote: »
    If I light a Incense Stick in the kitchen for example I can smell it two rooms away almost immediately.
    Does it travel like ripples in a pond from one molecule to another?

    Do your own homework, hippy!


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    #17
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,418 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    Kevin McCloud wrote: »
    Did the google not have any information op?

    Oh yeah.

    Google.


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    #18
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,378 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    CINCLANTFLT wrote: »
    The whole "A fart is someone's **** particles in your nose" thing has always distributed me...

    Well if you go that with the logic, it's only one more step to think of it as decomposing food or whatever it is.


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    #19
    libelula
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,212 ✭✭✭libelula


    Kevin McCloud wrote: »
    Did the google not have any information op?

    Where's the fun in that?

    *farts


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    #20
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,965 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    there's diffusion and convection too


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    #21
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Smell spreads when molecules move through air in a process known as diffusion.


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    #22
    Desolation Of Smug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 760 ✭✭✭Desolation Of Smug


    The smellicules are dispersed by the atmo-spears and detected by schnoz-mosis.


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    #23
    Canis Lupus
    Registered Users Posts: 9,893 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


    Op do you get paid commission per new thread created or what?


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    #24
    Birneybau
    Registered Users Posts: 10,250 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    Kevin McCloud wrote: »
    Did the google not have any information op?

    This is his Google.

    Anyway, I fart in all your general directions. Taste my poop. TASTE IT!


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    #25
    Ken.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    kneemos wrote: »
    If I light a Incense Stick in the kitchen for example I can smell it two rooms away almost immediately.
    Does it travel like ripples in a pond from one molecule to another?

    If you really think it travels that fast get someone to light an incense stick 2 rooms away and see how long it takes you to smell it. The person lighting it can't tell you they've lit it either.


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    #26
    Desolation Of Smug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 760 ✭✭✭Desolation Of Smug


    Birneybau wrote: »
    This is his Google.

    Anyway, I fart in all your general directions. Taste my poop. TASTE IT!

    UUgrh. Durty fecker.


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