Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2007 December 25

= December 25 =

formal charge of sulphur in sulphuric acid
plz tell —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.99.6.48 (talk) 04:48, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
 * It's pretty easily discernable from looking at its lewis structure (sulphuric acid). But then, you have to keep in mind that many resonance structures are possible. Someguy1221 (talk) 04:53, 25 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Please don't double-post. Hint: The more electronegative atom formally receives a electron from the less electronegative atom when forming a covalent bond. Now It's a matter of counting the bonds. Icek (talk) 15:23, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
 * That's actually oxidation state. In calculating formal charge, each atom receives one electron from each bond. Someguy1221 (talk) 00:24, 26 December 2007 (UTC)

Help identify this odd plant!
My mother was given this plant as a Christmas present and we are trying to identify it. It has a lot of tall thin shoots that put me in mind if miniaturised bamboo, with lots of leaves branching off from the main stalk. It also appears to have a bunch of bulblike things around the bottom, but I'm not entirely sure if they're part of the plant or just decoration. There is no identifying marks on the bowl or the plant other than a label for the store from which it was purchased.

I have two pictures of it, here and here. Any help is appreciated! Maelin (Talk | Contribs) 07:32, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
 * This resembles some kind of Spathiphyllum to me. --Ouro (blah blah) 09:04, 25 December 2007 (UTC)


 * At first sight it looks like a number of avocado stones have been planted together and these are the resultant young avocado treelets. The round things at the 'soil' surface are the stones from avocado pears, they have split to permit the shoot to emerge. If this is so then you have a bit of a problem in a couple of years because these trees grow up to 3 or 4 metres tall. My only doubt is that a dozen or so of these stones should be planted together in a single pot. Here is a site that shows how to grow avocados. Have a Happy Christmas! Richard Avery (talk) 09:15, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

About Plant's Cells
Tell how can I know about mechanism of plant's cells (specially root), their performances ,in different situations do they do instinctive or intelligently? In their inside construction how organs work and how chemical processes and electricity... are involve? Is there any perfect articles, links or references?Flakture (talk) 15:10, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
 * did you try Plant cell and the links and references therein?     Furmanj (talk) 16:46, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
 * I don't think that the words instinct or intelligent can be applied to any discussion about plants. Their cells just function in the way that they're "programmed" according to their DNA and epigenetic arrangement and extracellular (i.e. from other cells or the environment) incoming signals. --Seans Potato Business 22:44, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Exactly. Plants don't have brains or brain-analogs, so the terms "intelligence" and "instinct" don't really apply to them (except perhaps in the broadest and least meaningful sense of those terms).  In addition to that, plants only have a few organs.  If you're talking about plant cells perhaps you meant "organelles"?  You should probably reword your question based on these comments so we'll have a better idea of what you're looking for. --  Hi  Ev  01:51, 26 December 2007 (UTC)


 * The article on tropisms may be useful to you. William Avery (talk) 19:33, 26 December 2007 (UTC)