Glossary H
- Horse
-
Horses, mules, and oxen were the only means
of moving heavy loads before steam and gasoline vehicles became available. They
were still used until the 1940s in agriculture, when tractors replaced them. Each species
had advantages
over the other. Horses were fastest and could deliver the most power. It could
be run until it dropped dead. Mules had more stamina than horses, but could not be
overworked without rebeling. They were useful on canal towpaths because they feared
water, so they were not apt to meander into the canal for a drink - unlike horses. Oxen
were the strongest of the 3 species, but they were slow. They were more sure-footed, so
they were valuable where the terrain was rough, such as in forests hauling lumber.
Unlike horses and mules, oxen would graze on prairie grass and sage, so they could forage
for their own food during Great Plains treks by pioneers across the continent.
- Horseshoe
Horseshoes are
iron shoes nailed to the bottoms of horse hoofs.
They were used as early as 770 CE in south-central Asia. They are essential to prevent
injury to tender horse hoofs and they provide additional traction on soil. The invention
of horseshoes and horse collars increased the
efficiency of the horse greatly. Iron is
a relatively cheap metal for horseshoes, first made by hand by blacksmiths, and later made by
machine.
- Hydrocarbon
A hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and
carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one
hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls. Aromatic hydrocarbons (arenes), alkanes,
alkenes, cycloalkanes and alkyne-based compounds are different types of hydrocarbons. The majority of hydrocarbons found
naturally occur in crude oil, where decomposed organic matter provides an abundance of
carbon and hydrogen which, when bonded, can catenate to form seemingly limitless chains. Coal and natural gas are also
important sources of hydrocarbons.
Hydrocarbons are used mainly for fuels, such as heating oil, gasoline, propane because they release energy when burned.
Methane (gas) CH4 + 2 O2 + heat ->
2 H2O + CO2 + Energy
Propane (gas) C3H8 +
5O2 + heat ->
3CO2 + 4H2O + Energy
Benzene (liquid): C6H6 +
O2 + heat ->
CO2 + H2O + Energy
Paraffin (solid): C20H42 + oxygen + heat ->
carbon dioxide + water + Energy
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