Tropes

Popsci_2014 00959.txt

#How It Works: An Electronic Cigarettesince electronic cigarettes hit the market in 2007 yearly sales have reached $1 billion in the U s . Although they re popular it s still unclear how safe they are. Last year a study from an international group of scientists showed that the toxins in e-cigarette vapor are 9 to 450 times lower than in tobacco smoke. The Food and Drug Administration is still determining its regulatory stance. It s sponsoring more research while sorting out its position. When the e-cigarette is active an indicator light glows like a tobacco ember. Some versions have a pressure sensor that detects the airflow of an inhalation. The sensor then turns on the battery which triggers the heating element. Other e-cigarettes are turned on and off with a button. A slim lithium-ion battery usually rechargeable provides the power. An average e-cigarette has about 300 puffs per charge. Electricity passes through a resistant material sually metal or ceramic hich produces heat. Once the heating element reaches approximately 150°F it vaporizes about 0. 005 milliliters of the nicotine liquid into a mist. Each hit has roughly 90 percent of the nicotine found in a tobacco-cigarette puff. A viscous fluid made from propylene glycol vegetable glycerin or a mixture of both contains about 1 percent nicotine and flavoring such as menthol fruit or classic tobacco. A flexible tip sometimes made of silicone evokes the feel of a real cigarette. Continue reading about How It Works: a Wiffle ball a surgical snakebot and morethis article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Popular Science

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