This Day in Science History - March 1 - Discovery of Radioactivity
Wednesday February 29, 2012
On March 1, 1896, Antoine Henri Becqurel discovered radioactivity. Earlier in the week he planned an experiment to expose sunlight to uranium and then store the uranium in a black ... Read More
Make Sugar & String Easter Eggs
Wednesday February 29, 2012
Here's a fun Easter project for you: crystallize sugar onto string to make an Easter egg basket or a special holiday decoration. The project is similar to growing rock candy ... Read More
February 29 in Science History - Herman Hollerith
Tuesday February 28, 2012
February 29th is an extra day added to our calendar every four years. We do this because our trip around the Sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. Over ... Read More
This Day in Science History - February 28 - Dord
Monday February 27, 2012
Dord is a noun in physics and chemistry that means density. At least, that's what it meant for nearly 5 years. On February 28, 1939, the word 'Dord' was discovered ... Read More
Inkless Metal Pen Writes "Forever"
Monday February 27, 2012
Back when I took nuclear physics, we had access to lead bricks used for shielding. We used the bricks for other than their intended purpose, such as building blocks, paper ... Read More
This Day in Science History - February 27 - Aspirin
Sunday February 26, 2012
February 27th could be considered aspirin's birthday. The process to make aspirin was patented in 1900 by Felix Hoffman on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company, Bayer. Hoffman's aspirin was ... Read More
This Day in Science History - February 26 - Henry Dow
Saturday February 25, 2012
February 26th is Herbert Henry Dow's birthday. Dow was the founder of Dow Chemical Company, the third largest chemical company in the world. He began his business from an inexpensive ... Read More
This Day in Science History - February 25 - How fast is a Svedberg?
Friday February 24, 2012
February 25th marks the passing of Theodor H. E. Svedberg. Svedberg was a Nobel Prize winning chemist who worked with colloids. He is also the namesake of a non-SI physical ... Read More
This Day in Science History - February 24 - Inflammable Air
Thursday February 23, 2012
February 24th marks the passing of Henry Cavendish. Cavendish was a British natural philosopher that made meticulous studies of gases. He made extensive studies of the 'airs' he collected including ... Read More
This Day in Science History - February 23 - Carl Gauss
Wednesday February 22, 2012
February 23rd marks the passing of Carl Friedrich Gauss. Gauss was a German physicist and mathematician known for many discoveries and applications. He made numerous contributions to electricity and magnetism, ... Read More
Solubility Rules for Common Compounds
Wednesday February 22, 2012
The solubility rules for common compounds are useful for preparing solutions and planning separations based on solubility. While several factors affect solubility, you can use the general solubility rules for ... Read More
This Day in Science History - February 22 - Johannes Brønsted
Tuesday February 21, 2012
February 22nd was a Danish chemist who developed a theory to explain acids and bases at the same time as English chemist Thomas Lowry. The Brønsted-Lowry theory defines acids as ... Read More
Haircolor Changes After You Die
Tuesday February 21, 2012
If you've ever seen a mummy in a museum, you might have thought the ancients went a little overboard with henna and other red dyes. While people have colored their ... Read More
Special Effects Science
Sunday February 19, 2012
It isn't magic that makes movies look so cool. It's done using computer graphics and smoke and mirrors, which is a fancy name for "science." Take a look at the ... Read More
Yeast & Hydrogen Peroxide Volcano
Sunday February 19, 2012
The usual science project volcano is made using vinegar and baking soda, but there are other ways to make a chemical 'volcano' for fun or to illustrate an eruption. The ... Read More
Where To Buy Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate
Friday February 17, 2012
Copper sulfate pentahydrate (also known as copper sulphate pentahydrate or simply copper sulfate or copper sulphate) is the chemical used to grow bright blue copper sulfate crystals. It's easy to ... Read More
Weight of Embalming Fluid - Did You Know?
Friday February 17, 2012
I was reading an MSN article about how, if you donate your body to science, it may be rejected if you are overweight. The problem is a combination of lack ... Read More
When Should You Buy High Octane Gas?
Friday February 17, 2012
Readers who follow me on Facebook may be aware that I have an unnatural love for my car and I love to fly. Both vehicles are good examples of cases ... Read More
Sulfuric Acid and Sugar Reaction
Thursday February 16, 2012
One of the most spectacular chemistry demonstrations is also one of the simplest. It's the dehydration of sugar (sucrose) with sulfuric acid. Basically, all you do to perform this demonstration ... Read More
Wordless Wednesday - Rainbow in a Glass
Wednesday February 15, 2012
This pretty rainbow density column only requires sugar, water and food coloring!
How Haircoloring Works
Wednesday February 15, 2012
Over 75% of women and a growing percentage of men color their hair. Do you know how haircoloring works?
In the Beginning
The first safe commercial haircolor was created in 1909 by ... Read More
How To Cook a Frozen Pizza on the Stove - Science Experiment
Sunday February 12, 2012
So, the other day I found myself in a hotel room with a frozen pizza and a stove, but no oven. I did what any hungry scientist would do. I ... Read More
Bounce a Rubber Egg
Sunday February 12, 2012
My daughter's favorite science project is making rubber eggs. You only need two ingredients for the rubber egg project, an egg and some vinegar. You'll get somewhat different results depending ... Read More
Will Carbon Monoxide Cause You to Buy Spoiled Meat?
Sunday February 12, 2012
Have you ever wondered why some meat starts looking brown after a few days in the meat case at the grocery store, while other meat stays fresh-looking longer? Some meat ... Read More
Really Getting Iron from Cereal
Sunday February 12, 2012
One of my more popular 'how-to' pages describes how you can get iron from cereal. I've amended that tutorial to give you helpful hints on how to make this activity ... Read More
Make Purple Gold
Saturday February 11, 2012
I've been adding to my coverage of alchemy bit by bit and came across an alchemy/chemistry project over at The Alchemy Website that you might enjoy trying. It is making ... Read More
Real Periodic Table of Elements
Friday February 10, 2012
The periodic table organizes the chemical elements according to increasing atomic number, grouped by recurring or periodic properties. All periodic tables include the symbol, atomic number and atomic weight for ... Read More
10 Iodine Facts
Friday February 10, 2012
Here's an iodine fact that may be useful to you someday. While iodine is essential for proper nutrition, some people develop an allergy to the element. Usually this manifests as ... Read More
What Is in Liquid Smoke?
Thursday February 9, 2012
Liquid smoke is a product you can buy at the grocery store to add a smoky barbeque flavor to food. It can also be used as a food preservative. It ... Read More
Measurement Study Guide - Learn the Basics of Measurements and Standards
Thursday February 9, 2012
Measurement is a major part of the scientific method. Observation and experimentation would be impossible without some agreed upon standard of measurement.
The Measurement and Standard Study Guide is a study ... Read More
Make pH Paper Test Strips
Wednesday February 8, 2012
You can use red cabbage pH indicator to make your own pH paper test strips. It's simple to do and makes it much easier to test the pH of liquids ... Read More
Quick Emulsifier Chemistry Demonstration
Sunday February 5, 2012
Soap is good at cleaning because it acts as an emulsifier, enabling one liquid to disperse into another immiscible liquid. While oil (which attracts dirt) doesn't naturally mix with water, ... Read More
Xylitol May Be Deadly to Dogs
Saturday February 4, 2012
Many dog owners are aware that chocolate, coffee, and grapes are toxic to dogs, but did you know about the risk from ingesting the common sweetener, xylitol? Xylitol is a ... Read More
Friday Fire Project - Fire Magic Tricks
Friday February 3, 2012
If one fire project is good, then more is better, right? I grouped together the fire projects that could be used as fire magic tricks, so you can play with ... Read More
Color Change Thermometer Project
Friday February 3, 2012
Here's a color change project that will give you a liquid that fluctuates between pink and blue as the temperature changes.
What You Need
beaker or attractive clear container
3 g cobalt(II) chloride ... Read More
How to Make Blue Fire
Thursday February 2, 2012
Blue fire is extremely easy to make. Here are some ways you can make blue fire yourself.
Natural Blue Fire
The easiest way to make blue fire is to burn a chemical ... Read More
Why People Mix Bleach and Vinegar
Wednesday February 1, 2012
If mixing bleach and vinegar releases toxic chlorine gas, then why do people do it? There are two answers to this question. The first answer is that vinegar lowers the ... Read More