Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

The Wave Nature of Light

The Wave Nature of Light

The nature of light has been a subject of inquiry since antiquity. In the seventeenth century, Isaac Newton performed experiments with lenses and prisms and was able to demonstrate that white light consists of the individual colors of the rainbow combined together. Newton explained his optics findings in terms of a "corpuscular" view of light, in which light was composed of streams of extremely tiny particles traveling at high speeds according to Newton's laws of motion.

Specific Heat

Specific Heat

The specific heat capacity of a substance refers to the energy required to increase the temperature of one gram of that substance by one degree Celcius. Specific heat capacity is often represented in calories (cal), grams (g), and degrees Celsius (oC), but can also be expressed in joules (J), kilograms (kg), and Kelvin (K), among other units.
For example, increasing the temperature of one gram of water by 1°C requires one calorie of heat energy and can be written as 1 cal/g-°C, or...

Quantifying Heat

Quantifying Heat

Thermal Energy Microscopically, thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. Temperature is a quantitative measure of “hot” or “cold”, which depends on the amount of thermal energy. When the atoms and molecules in an object are moving or vibrating quickly, they have a higher average kinetic energy (KE) (or higher thermal energy), and the object is perceived as “hot”, or it is described as being at a higher temperature. When the...

Heat Flow and Specific Heat

Heat Flow and Specific Heat

Heat is a type of energy transfer that is caused by a temperature difference, and it can change the temperature of an object. Since heat is a form of energy, its SI unit is the joule (J). Another common unit of energy often used for heat is the calorie (cal), which is defined as the energy needed to change the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 °C, specifically between 14.5 °C and 15.5 °C, since the energy needed shows a slight temperature dependence. Another commonly used unit is...

Heating and Cooling Curves

Heating and Cooling Curves

When a substance—isolated from its environment—is subjected to heat changes, corresponding changes in temperature and phase of the substance is observed; this is graphically represented by heating and cooling curves.
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...

Heat Engines

Heat Engines

A heat engine is a device used to extract heat from a source and then convert it into mechanical work used for various applications. For example, a steam engine on an old-style train can produce the work needed for driving the train.
Whenever we consider heat engines (and associated devices such as refrigerators and heat pumps), we do not use the standard sign convention for heat and work. For convenience, we assume that the symbols Qh, Qc, and W represent only the amounts of heat transferred...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

GIGEM (Group Isolation Gauge Effect Metrics), a Software Suite for Analyzing Social Isolation-induced Sleep Loss and Multi-batch Experiments in <i>Drosophila</i>.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026

Same author

Machine-Learning Source Apportionment of Particulate Pollution Aids Urban Emission Regulations.

Environmental science & technology·2026

Same author

Application of a human bronchoepithelial-air-liquid interface model to assess respiratory hazard of VOCs using a benchmark concentration modeling approach.

Inhalation toxicology·2026

Same author

Air quality improvement masks global cooling from CO<sub>2</sub> reductions under China's carbon neutrality policies for half a century.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

GIGEM (Group Isolation Gauge Effect Metrics), A Software Suite for Analyzing Social Isolation-Induced Sleep Loss and Multi-Batch Experiments in <i>Drosophila</i>.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Real-Time Identification and Quantification of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Using High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry with Positive Reagent Ions.

Analytical chemistry·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Published on: April 22, 2016

Detecting supramolecular organic nanoparticles during heat wave.

Renyi Zhang^1,2,3,4, Yixin Li¹, Jiayun Zhao²

¹Department of Atmospheric Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|February 12, 2026

Summary

New particle formation, a key source of fine aerosols, unexpectedly occurred during a heat wave. Scientists discovered organic acids self-assemble into nanoparticles, explaining high-temperature formation and its broad atmospheric relevance.

More Related Videos

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Published on: August 2, 2012

$Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy$

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: June 23, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Published on: April 22, 2016

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Published on: August 2, 2012

$Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy$

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: June 23, 2016

Area of Science:

Atmospheric Chemistry
Environmental Science
Nanoparticle Science

Background:

New particle formation (NPF) is a primary source of tropospheric fine aerosols.
NPF is commonly believed to be thermodynamically limited by species volatility, making it unfavorable at high temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanisms behind frequent new particle formation (NPF) observed during a heat wave.
To determine the chemical composition of newly formed nanoparticles at high temperatures.

Main Methods:

Conducted an intensive field campaign during a heat wave.
Performed size-resolved chemical composition measurements of nanoparticles down to 3 nanometers.

Main Results:

Observed frequent NPF events during the heat wave, contrary to common assumptions.
Identified carboxylic acids as the dominant species in newly formed nanoparticles.
Uncovered a spontaneous self-assembly mechanism for organic acids to form supramolecular nanoparticles.

Conclusions:

The self-assembly of organic acids provides a mechanism for NPF at high temperatures.
This finding explains the unexpected occurrence of NPF during heat waves and its prevalence in various atmospheric conditions.
Results have implications for understanding aerosol impacts on climate, cloud formation, and public health, especially in the context of global warming.