Solid angle a solid angle in steradians is the following ratio: where A is the spherical surface area and r is the radius of the considered sphere. Solid angles are often used in physics, in particular astrophysics. The solid angle of an object that is very far away is roughly proportional to the ratio of area to squared distance. Here "area" means the area of the object when projected along the viewing direction. The solid angle of a sphere measured from any point in its interior is 4 sr, and the solid angle subtended at the center of a cube by one
Surface area ratio is credited to Archimedes. Surface area is important in chemical kinetics. Increasing the surface area of a substance generally increases the rate of a chemical reaction. For example, iron in a fine powder will combust, while in solid blocks it is stable enough to use in structures. For different applications a minimal or maximal surface area may be desired. The surface area of an organism is important in several considerations, such as regulation of body temperature and digestion. Animals use their teeth to grind food down into smaller particles, increasing the surface area available for digestion. The epithelial tissue