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The Beagle is a popular breed, retaining a youthful puppy-look, even as an adult. With an appearance of a miniature foxhound, the Beagle is an excellent hunter. Like the Basset Hound, the Beagle has the ability to hunt with prowess and speed, but has a gentle and mild personality.

The “Peanuts” cartoon strip helped make this breed famous with the character “Snoopy.” These dogs are often white, black, and tan, but can also come in other colors like white, red, and yellow. They are typically about 15” tall.

Originating from France, the Beagle may have received its name from the French word “be’geule,” referring to its baying when hunting, or perhaps because of its small size. These dogs lived in packs for centuries, used as pack hunters. They are thus excellent at getting along with family members and other dogs.

Energetic and curious, they will often track scents on walks and outings. They require vigorous exercise every day to be happy and healthy, and may need a longer leash for suddenly catching a scent.

The body of the Beagle is proportionate, with a head that is neither too small nor too large for its size. Its ears drape down, though they are not nearly as long as the Basset Hounds ears. The Beagle has big brown eyes, perfect for begging for treats and a medium-length coat of coarse straight hair.

The Basset Hound is a dog easily recognized due to its long, low body. The Basset Hound’s short legs and long ears accentuate its solid body. On Disney’s “The Fox and the Hound,” the hound was Copper, a Basset Hound, being trained to hunt by an older hunting dog.

The Basset Hound originated in France. Its purpose was to trail small game, for hunters to follow on foot. While Napoleon was in power, this was a very popular breed. In 1880, Basset Hounds were kept in the royal kennels of Queen Alexandra. It was the Marquis de Lafayette who brought the breed over as a present for President George Washington, for his hunting trips.

Basset Hounds are excellent and obedient hunters, but are also good at tracking and field trialing. Capable of hunting in packs, the basset hound can follow a scent to track its quarry. Ironically, for a hunting dog, the Basset Hound has a gentle, sweet disposition.

Basset Hounds come in many different colors, most often white, tan, and black. But brown, red and other colors are also possible with this breed. Its gentleness and obedience make this breed a great family dog.

The Basset Hound has a larger bone structure, proportionately, than any other dog. Most small dogs have smaller bones and even big dogs have bone structures more fitting for their size. But this gives the Basset Hound the power and capability to track over difficult terrain.

Popular, friendly, and enthusiastic, the Australian Shepherd makes an excellent herding dog. This type of dog is perfect for working on a farm or ranch. Often referred to as “Aussies,” these dogs are agile and obedient, needing purpose and plenty of activity to be happy.

It is still not certain where the Australian Shepherd originated. It actually was named Australian Shepherd because of the Basque shepherds who immigrated to Australia and America in the 1800s. Some of the names it carried before are Pastor Dog, Blue Heeler, California Shepherd, Bob-Tail, Spanish Shepherd, and New Mexican Shepherd.

Likely, the Australian Shepherd originated from the Pyrenees Mountains, located between France and Spain. On a ranch, the Aussie can watch over the home or herd at night, and direct the herd by day. These dogs, in a home environment, have often been found trying to “herd” children.

The Australian shepherd is a very friendly dog, loyal to its family and obedient to its master. But, with high levels of energy in reserve, they do require the opportunity to get intense exercise every day. They require weekly brushing and a mid-sized collar.

Almost the shape of a square, the Australian Shepherd is only a little longer than it is tall. The Aussie has a medium bone structure and coloring that is as unique as its personality. Each dog has a special pattern of colors on its mid-length coarse coat.

The Akita is a strong, dignified dog breed from Japan. A working breed, this dog is used in both therapy and performance work. The Akita is best known for its fluffy tail that comes up over its back and for its thick double coat. The double coat can be a variety of different colors.

In Japan, the Akita is one of seven breeds declared a national monument to the country. It has been used for many years as a hunting dog. Helen Keller was the first to bring one to the states in 1937. In Japan, when a child is born, someone buys the family an Akita statue, representing happiness, health and long life.

Known as the “Silent Hunter” in Japan, the Akita makes a good guard dog. This breed may require obedience training as they tend to seek leadership in the home. Interestingly, the Akita grooms itself much like a feline, but will still require daily brushing. This breed has the potential for aggression and should thus be watched around children and smaller animals.

The Akita has a large broad head with a wide muzzle. The breed is powerful with strong bones and a thick muscular neck, requiring a larger collar and a stronger leash than some other dogs. Looking from above the dog, the head forms a blunt triangle. The ears give the Akita an appearance of continual alertness as the ears are erect and point straight up.

The characteristic double coat of the Akita is what sets it apart from other breeds. The undercoat is thick and soft. The outer coat is coarse and straight. The hair on the dog’s head is short. Akitas can be any color with the undercoat often being a different color from the outer coat.

Tensile strength (TS) is a measure used to describe the maximum pulling pressure a material can manage, before the cross-section begins to notably contract. The real term for tensile strength is ultimate tensile strength (UTS), but this is commonly shortened to tensile strength.

In order to determine the UTS of nylon webbing, for example, the amount of stress the webbing can withstand is measured by using machines to pull with increasing pressure. This is not necessarily based on the material’s size.

Other measures, however, do take size into account. This is generally measured as force per unit area. It is a common practice to use the unit of pounds-force per square inch (psi) or kilo-pounds per square inch, for a psi in multiples of 1000.

Some factors that can influence UTS testing are flaws or defects in the material and temperature in the testing area. Thus, it is important for testing labs to examine the material to be tested, thoroughly, for any defects or weak spots and monitor the temperature for the test.

Usually, when the test reaches close to the maximum tensile strength of the material, it is measured as a curve, called the stress-strain curve. The stress-strain curve will reach a peak of pressure withstood, before the material begins to show visible strain against the pressure. This peak is measured and listed as the ultimate tensile strength.

Did you ever stop and wonder where the belt came from? Without it, who knows how some people would keep their pants up. The buckle is not used as much as it was before the invention of Velcro, but is still used extensively in the belt and shoe industries.

The word “buckle” stems from the Latin word “buccula” which means “cheek strap” as in those used for military helmets. As far back as history can tell, some of the oldest buckles were used by the Roman soldiers to put their armor on. Also dating back to the period of 200 to 100 BC, Chinese nomads called the Xiong-nu wore belt buckles over their tunics, as an indication of status.

Later, the Romans began using the belt to strap on their swords. The belt used for this was called the “baldric.” It was worn over the right shoulder and around the left side of the waist. Made of bronze, these buckles had great strength and durability for use in battles.

Scythia and Sarmatia were ancient lands in which buckles were decorated with animal shapes. The animal motifs were mainly of animals in deadly combat. The Germans caught on to this and began importing these stylish buckles for their own use.

Through the Middle Ages, buckles in Europe were primarily ornamental in nature. But in the mid 1300s, the buckle became more of a practical matter, used in battles by knights in armor. In the 1400s, buckles began to be made with cheaper materials so that the everyday person could use buckles for clothing items. In Spain, during the 1500s, the opposite trend was seen as buckles became less of a practical matter, mainly hidden from view, and were used as a decorative fashion statement instead.

Today, the buckle continues to be worn as both a practical item and for a fashion statement. Many Americans put on their simple buckles on standard leather belts for everyday work attire. Western cowboys are famous for their decorative belts, usually rectangular or oval in shape with detailed images and decoration molded into the shiny metal. Whether for decoration or practical use, the buckle holds its place in history and seems to be one of those clothing items that never goes out of style.

Webbing is produced in two basic types: 1) Flat webbing is a solid weave used for backpack straps, seatbelts, and many other applications. 2) Tubular webbing is constructed as a tube of webbing and then flattened for use. Tubular webbing is regularly used for industrial uses and climbing ropes.

Flat nylon webbing works well for situations involving more abrasion than usual. It is not recommended for use in moist environments as it absorbs water readily, leading to mildew, rot, and extra stretchiness.

Depending on the construction, flat nylon webbing generally ranges in thickness from .070 to .075 inches. It can resist intense heat, but will melt at 480 degrees Fahrenheit. 1” nylon webbing has an ultimate tensile strength of up to 6000 pounds of pressure.

Tubular webbing is often used in climbing, rescue, and other such applications because it takes to knots more readily than flat webbing and can be looped for added tensile strength. However, it has less tensile strength, without looping, than flat webbing.

Tubular webbing usually comes in thickness ranging from 0.06 to 0.09 inches. Its ultimate tensile strength (depending on the thickness) is up to 4000 pounds. When looped, the tensile strength can reach up to 6000 pounds.

The buckle has a long and extensive history. It is a device used to connect two loose ends in a temporary fashion. The buckle can be buckled and unbuckled with relative ease, making it an ideal way to keep pants up, put collars on, and secure certain types of shoes.

The buckle is typically connected permanently to the leather, or other material, with its chape. The chape is a small protruding end of the belt. The chape runs from the connecting piece to the center of the belt where it is connected to a central cross-piece called the bar. The bar runs vertically from the top of the frame to the bottom.

On top of the bar is the prong. The prong is the small thin piece of metal that hooks into the appropriate hole in the belt or collar, in order to size the item to fit. Finally, the whole belt is surrounded by a frame. The frame is usually rectangular in shape.

The frame holds the prong into the selected sizing hole, once placed, to keep the prong from slipping out. The frame is also made to provide extra stability for the whole buckle.

The frame is typically the part of the buckle that is used to make a fashionable statement. While many belt buckles are relatively plain, there are also many variations in styles, colors, and forms to fit the personality or mood of the wearer.

Girls have lots of options for buckles with rhinestones or other decorations, buckles that are painted in fashionable colors, and buckles that have sayings printed on them. For men, a variety of metal types and finishes offer choices for everyday wear, but there are also wildly different styles such as those used in western wear. The buckle may often be taken for granted, but it is one of the longest lasting inventions in the human wardrobe and is still used today to make a statement.

DuPont’s chemical lab, headed by Wallace Carothers, invented nylon just before World War II. While attempting to develop the new manufactured fiber, he came across the possibility of making nylon 6, but was not able to make it work.

Using caprolactam, Carothers and his team applied a ring-opening polymerization. The goal was to take the ring-shaped caprolactam molecule and open it up into a strand. Additionally, it was to be combined with others of the same to form a stronger strand, a macromolecule.

Carothers and his team never did succeed in making nylon 6. He actually left behind a written report that nylon 6 could not be produced. But later, in Germany, Paul Schlak and his team of chemists succeeded in make nylon 6.

IG Farben, the company Schlak worked for, was thus able to compete with DuPont, with a new form of nylon no one else had. IG Farben began producing nylon 6, to be used in a variety of materials and products.

Today, science students being taught about polymerization can make nylon 6 in the school lab. Groups of students work together to initiate the chemical reaction responsible for ring-opening polymerization. Carothers, still renowned for his invention of nylon would have been surprised at the now large-scale production of nylon 6, the so-called impossible nylon.

Back in 1938, natural fibers were hard to come by. Cotton was the principle fiber used for most materials, but the military needed something better. DuPont, a chemical manufacturer, hired Wallace Carothers to lead their team of chemists to develop a manufactured fiber that was tough enough to make parachutes.

Nylon was the result of that move and it has since grown into a widely used material in military, fashion, sports, auto, and numerous other markets. Nylon webbing is found in products everywhere you look. Still the object of study today, nylon is something that chemical students learn to make in school labs.

Starting with water-based hexamethylenediamine solution, in a beaker or glass, adding sebacoyl chloride to the top makes nylon where the two layers touch. Then, with lab tweezers, the student or “home scientist” can grab the thin film of nylon and slowly pull it up and out of the glass, forming a longer and longer strand of nylon as the two solutions keep touching afresh and producing more nylon.

Here is how to do it: Gently pour the hexamethylenediamine into the bottom of the glass. Then, slowly pour the sebacoyl chloride over the top. It must be slow gentle pouring because you do not want to mix or stir the two solutions, just layer them.

Now you can reach through the sebacoyl chloride solution, with the tweezers, and grab the mid-section where the two solutions have formed a nylon “thread.” As you gently start pulling this section up, it will keep forming a thread as fast as you pull it.

Lay down the thread on some newspaper or paper towels laid over a flat surface. What you have is not really a useful form of nylon, but is definitely helpful as a teaching experience for science students of any age.