Sometimes things go wrong when you are trying to grow crystals. This is a list of some common problems and solutions. Tell me more...

Decomposition is any reaction in which a substance is broken down into smaller component materials. Here's a particularly icky example of decomposition producing flammable gases. Putrefaction is one of the ... Read More

It's easier to navigate the periodic table and write chemical equations and formulae once you know the symbols for the elements. Here's an alphabetical list of element symbols with the ... Read More

New! Do you want to grow crystals, but you aren't sure where to start or what to do to make sure your crystals turn out well? Here's some basic information ... Read More

Scientists at Israel's Weizmann Institute have created a new type of nanotube, made of gold, silver, gold/palladium, or gold-coated copper. These tubes are produced at room temperature on an aluminum ... Read More

The European Space Agency reports that the Mars Express mission has detected a combination of water and carbon dioxide ice in the Martian southern polar cap. The initial mapping was ... Read More

I've added a bunch of additional terms to the glossary: cation, temperature, tetrahedral, theoretical yield, thermal, thermodynamics, titration, translational energy, triangular bipyramid, triple bond, and vapor. Enjoy!The Glossary

Here's a look at some of the most popular internal search terms this week at About Chemistry: Crystal Science Projects Periodic Table of the Elements Hard & Soft Water Soap & Saponification Science Fair Project ... Read More

Do you think you have a handle on the Mad Cow Disease issue? Here's a detailed guest article, written by microbiologist Eve Riser-Roberts, Ph.D., that may shake things up a ... Read More

Are you ready for some good clean fun? Why not try making your own soap? I have a soap-making tutorial to get you started, with information about how soap works ... Read More

Here are the long and short answers to this Frequently Asked Question. Here are some other FAQs: What are the elements in the human body? What is the most abundant element? Why do ... Read More

Winter is cold, but unless your wind-chill factor is -109°F (-79°C), dry ice is colder! In fact, it's cold enough that you can use it to blow bubbles and freeze ... Read More

I feel your pain. My kids have come up with and rejected about a zillion science fair project ideas. One of them is determining whether all types of soda will ... Read More

I realize that radioactive (and other) waste has to go somewhere. After all, it's somewhere now. In some cases, states even placed bids in order to get the waste. However, ... Read More

Have you ever wondered how a drug becomes approved for new uses? It's an expensive undertaking, not without risk to the drug companies seeking approval. BioWorld Online's Randall Osborne provides ... Read More

The latest addition to About Chemistry is an introduction to Boyle's Law, as well as a worked example problem and links to related resources.All Worked Problems|General Properties of Gases

This year, finally, the Centers for Disease Control decided to do some science and actually see whether or not the flu vaccine works. How did it turn out? Preliminary results ... Read More

I've updated the Periodic Table entries for the halogen astatine and for darmstadtium, which you may know better as element 110 or ununnilium. I don't often blog about routine site ... Read More

The Swedish warship Vasa sank within 20 minutes of her maiden voyage in 1628, yet she is still around today to delight tourists and historians. Chemistry is responsible for the ... Read More

Here's a look at the most popular search terms within the About Chemistry site this past week. There were an unusually large number of searches for 'Helmenstine', so here's a ... Read More

First, an apology to all of my newsletter subscribers. I have no idea what went wrong with today's wacky newsletter, but About's Tech Support is working to make certain the ... Read More

Let's take a look at the two main ways to categorize crystal types. I've described the major crystal structures (e.g., triclinic, hexagonal) and how crystals are classified by their properties ... Read More

Preliminary tests conducted by the Danish military indicate that a cache of 36 shells recovered yesterday in Iraq contain a chemical blister agent. Blister agents, which include mustard gas and ... Read More

Are you a middle school or high school student contemplating a college major in chemistry? Here's a look at some of the courses that can help you with your goal!List ... Read More

Does one of your New Year's resolutions involve exercising more? During and after a workout, do you think it's better to quench your thirst with a sports drink, a beer, ... Read More

There is a New Year's tradition where I live that involves eating collard greens and black eye peas. I don't know the background of the tradition, but perhaps these foods ... Read More

Here's a look at some of the top search terms within the About Chemistry website this past week: Leap Pad Review Element Facts Chemistry How-To's Snowflake Chemistry BHA & BHT

There's some serious chemistry involved in the search for life on other planets (or gas clouds or asteroids or comets). However, other disciplines come into play as well, such as ... Read More

New! Do you know your units of measurement? Test yourself and have some fun at the same time with this hangman game. I've provided links to tables of units to ... Read More

Ringing in the New Year is commonly associated with over-indulgence, so my list of chemicals for hangovers may be helpful for some readers today. On a related note, Science Daily ... Read More