SANCHAY

Knowledge Pays Off

How does a laser printer work ?

A laser printer uses the phenomenon of static electricity as a temporary glue. The core component is the photoreceptor, typically revolving drum or cylinder. This is made of highly photoconductive material that is discharged by light photons. The printer coats the drum with a positively charged toner - a fine, black powder. Since it has a positive charge, the toner clings to the negatively discharge areas of the drum, but not to the positively charged 'background'. With the powder pattern affixed, the drum rolls over a sheet of paper, which moves along a belt below. Before the paper rolls under the drum, it is given a negative charge by the transfer corona wire (charged roller). This charge is stronger than the negative charge of the electrostatic image, so the paper can pull the toner powder away. Since it is moving at the same speed as the drum, the paper  picks up the image pattern exactly. To keep the paper from clinging to the drum, it is discharged by the detach corona wire immediately after picking up the toner.

What is the VJD method in cricket ?

V Jayadevan, an engineer from Kerala, has devised a method which has the backing of the Indian board and will be discussed by the ICC’s Cricket Committee during its tow-daymeet in Dubai on May 13 and 14. Like the Duckworth-Lewis method, Jayadevan’s system (the VJD method) also comes from an analysis of numerous oneday matches. And predicting scores and targets on the basis of scoring patterns recorded from earlier games.

What is the difference between a call centre and a BPO organization ?

A Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) organization is responsible for performing a process or a part of a process of another business organization ; outsourcing is done to save on costs or gain in productivity. A call centres performs that part of a client’s business which involves handling telephone calls. A call centre, for example, might handle customer complaints coming in over a telephone. Thus, a call centre can be considered a BPO organization. The  converse is, however, not true because there exist BPO organizations, such as medical transcription agencies, which handle their business through websites, and do not process ant telephone calls on behalf of their clients.

What is the origin of the buffet system ?  

A buffet is a meal- serving system where patrons serve themselves. It's a popular method of feeding large numbers of people with minimal staff. The term originally referred to the sideboard where the food was served, but eventually became applied to the form. The buffet became popular in the English-speaking world in the second half of the nineteenth century. The 16th century French term buffet applied both to the display itself and to the furniture on which it was mounted, often draped with rich textiles, but more often as the century advanced an elaborately carved cupboard surmounted by tiers of shelves. In England, such a buffet was called a court cupboard.

How does the Snickometer work ?

The Snickometer, although not used in adjudicating decisions, is a useful TV tool which tracks the cricket ball's path by picking up sounds from pitch and stump microphones. The Snickometer, invented by Englishman Allen Plaskett in the mid '90s, is used to display sound from stump microphones. The feed from the stump microphones is fed directly into the Snickometer which then represents the sound as a visual graphic. From that, viewers can tell whether the ball hit a pad (aflat, dull display) or hit the bat (a lot sharper graphic) or just went pass (a flat line).

Why does milk overflow when boiled but water does not ?

Milk is not a simple liquid - it contains tiny globules of fat and casein which are not dissolved but suspended in water. On heating milk, there occurs a separation of contituents and some elements like cream, being lighter, float up. After some time, a membrane -like film containing cream and casein  is forme. When milk begins to biol, the heat energyis used for the conversion of water into steam. As a result, the pressure below the film increases suddenly and the rising bubbles of steam makes the milk overflow. On heating water, no such film is formed and the bubbles of steam formed by boiling escape easily without any resistance. Hence, water does not overflow on boiling.