Square Pegs

Opinion

... in response to The Size of SARS-CoV-2 and its Implications

Square Pegs

Ken Largent says:

February 22, 2021 at 1:09 PM

So what I hear from you is that small round pegs are blocked by big square holes better because small round pegs don't travel in straight lines.

What I gather from the article is that filter material intended to block "most" particles of a certain size are assumed to be effective against particles that are 2,000 times smaller. Under his flawed logic, the material we use to keep flies out of our houses would also make great insulation material against the cold.

Here is reality: a filter material that is effective against particles of a certain size cannot be as effective against particles 2,000 time smaller.

Even though there are masks capable of filtering out smoke particles, firefighters still use an oxygen source instead of masks because masks do not create oxygen in an oxygen depleted atmosphere AND there are other toxins besides smoke in a typical fire that a mask cannot filter out.

The math says that particles that are 2,000 times smaller than the targeted substance are 200 times MORE likely to pass through the filter material than the "acceptable" 5 percent.

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- Cold is a measurement of heat, not of a particle.
  
  Greg Phillips says:
  
  March 1, 2021 at 2:00 AM
  
  The theory refers to particles that are 1/10th of a micron. Material used to keep flies out of our houses is about 20,000 times larger.
  
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- Google it. Robert Brown. Brownian Theory of Motion. Larger particles have
  
  Greg Phillips says:
  
  March 1, 2021 at 2:10 AM
  
  Google it. Robert Brown. Brownian Theory of Motion. Larger particles have the mass to follow an airstream and flow in straight lines. Smaller particles don't have the mass and therefore they zig-zag around instead of following the airstream, and don't move in straight lines. They get bounced around and that is why they are easier to capture than larger particles that move in straight lines.
  
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  - Inefficient capture at best.
    
    Carlo Wood says:
    
    March 24, 2021 at 3:52 AM
    
    They bounce against air molecules, causing them to have an effective diameter larger than their real diameter. However, the effective diameter is at all times LESS than that of a particle with a (slightly) larger diameter. The net result is that smaller particles get captured LESS often. The Brownian motion might cause them to be captured more often than what would be the case in a vacuum, it is still much much less than 95%. Lets say their effective diameter becomes 10x larger (which I doubt) then the holes are still 200 times larger and they'll fly through with the air unimpeded.
    
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  - You are neglecting CAPILLARY FORCES
    
    Allen Hall says:
    
    December 13, 2021 at 9:50 PM
    
    The virus when constrain in saliva, TRAVELS WITH the saliva - which wicks thru the mask.
    
    N95 masks do not stop Virus sized particles period- Yes they do stop saliva droplets.
    BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SALIVA that's trapped in the mask. It wicks thru the paper, carrying the virus with it until it reaches the surface of the mask. There the saliva EVAPORATES and releases ALL the virus that would have otherwise been constrained by the saliva - WHICH would have fallen immediately to the ground within a few minutes. INSTEAD every time you exhale you now produce a Giant cloud of AIRBORNE virus which stays in the air for HOURS! Don't believe it?? Then get a cigarette Take a big puff and exhale thru that stupid paper mask.. Can you still smell the smoke in the air?? You bet ya can, and smoke particles are 20 TIMES LARGER than virus !! You people gotta smarten up.. This has never been about keeping people safer - It actually SPREADS THE VIRUS FASTER
    
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