Got questions about chemistry? Here are the answers to the most common questions I have been asked by chemistry students. These FAQs may help you with your homework or aid you in understanding chemistry concepts.
What is the importance of chemistry? Why would you want to learn about chemistry? Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with other matter and energy. Here's a look at the importance of chemistry and why you should study it.
You can teach yourself general chemistry with this step-by-step introduction to the basic concepts.
Start learning chemistry with the basics. Learn what chemistry is, what chemists do, and why it's important to study chemistry.
Scientist versus engineer: are they the same? Different? Here's a look at the definitions of scientist and engineer and the difference between a scientist and engineer.
Are you confused about how chemical engineering differs from pure chemistry or other types of engineering? Here's an explanation of what chemical engineering is and what chemical engineers do.
Here are some homework and study tips to help you succeed in chemistry.
Words have very specific meanings in chemistry and other sciences. Learn about the difference between a scientific law, hypothesis, and theory. Examples are provided for each term.
Can a candle burn in the absence of gravity? Here's the answer to this frequently asked question about fire.
It's important to add sulfuric acid to water and not water to concentrated sulfuric acid. Here's an explanation of why you don't want to make a mistake and some mnemonics that might help you remember how to play it safe in the chemistry lab.
Find out if there are any elements left to be discovered and how they would be found.
You can make pH indicator from poinsettia flowers, then use the indicator to make your own pH paper test strips.
Use this redox-based iodometric titration to determine the amount of Vitamin C or ascorbic acid in juice and other samples.
Learn about the chemistry behind the cleaning power of detergents.
A chemical equation describes what happens in a chemical reaction. It takes practice to be able to write balanced equations, but the process involves the same basic steps, no matter how complex the reaction. This tutorial guides you through the steps.
Get step-by-step instructions for balancing redox reactions for conservation of mass and charge in electrochemistry.
Do the units for solution concentration confuse you? Get definitions and examples for calculating percent composition by mass, mole fraction, molarity, molality, and normality. I've also included a bit of information on dilutions.
Cleaning laboratory glassware isn't as simple as washing the dishes. Here's how to wash your glassware so that you won't ruin your chemical solution, laboratory experiment, or the glass.
Science fair projects are a great way to learn about experimentation, the scientific method, and science concepts. However, it can be hard to find an idea or get answers to questions once you get started. Here is a collection of resources to give your project the winning edge.
Learn about Lewis structures, also called electron dot structures and get step-by-step help drawing them.
Ok, so no one really needs to ask that. Avoid these mistakes to help ensure success in your chemistry class.
A seed crystal is a small single crystal that you use to grow a much larger crystal from a saturated crystal solution. This is how you can grow a seed crystal yourself.
Do you know the difference between a mixture and a compound? Combine iron and sulfur to make a mixture and then react them to form a chemical compound.
You can easily make a smoke bomb using inexpensive materials to produce safe smoke.
Learn how to make blue or red ink that will disappear after exposure to air. Tips for restoring the color and an explanation of the acid-base chemistry of the reaction are also included.
Here's a handy mnemonic device to help memorize the symbols and sequence of the first nine elements in the periodic table.
Recrystallization is a laboratory technique used to purify a sample based on the different solubilites of its components. Learn how to perform a recrystallization and get tips on how to avoid common problems and improve your product yield.
The Mohs test is one way to determine the hardness of a rock or mineral. You can use the Mohs hardness to help identify an unknown specimen. Here's how you can do the test yourself.
The meniscus is the curve seen at the top of a liquid in response to its container. When you read a scale on the side of a container with a meniscus, such as a graduated cylinder or volumetric flask, it's important that the measurement accounts for the meniscus. Here's how to read a meniscus.
How you take a test is at least as important as your preparation for it. These tips can help you make the grade.
Flash cards can be a great study aid. You can use them to help memorize facts, lists, and structures as well as to reinforce important concepts. Here's how to prepare and use flash cards to help study chemistry.
Learn how to cite your sources for a science fair project. See examples for books, online references, and conversations.
Lab reports are an essential part of all laboratory courses and usually a significant part of your grade. If your instructor gives you an outline for how to write a lab report, use that. Here's a format for a lab report you can use if you aren't sure what to write or need an explanation of what to include in the different parts of the report.
Scientific notation uses exponents to express numerical figures. Here's an explanation of what scientific notation is, plus examples of how to write numbers and perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems using scientific notation.
Mood rings have a stone that is supposed to change color to show your emotions. Do they work? If so, do you know how? Here's your chance to find out.
Photosynthesis is the name for the set of chemical reactions used by plants and other organisms to make food from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. Here's a look at the process and study questions to help make sure you understand the key concepts.
Learn how blood tests and home pregnancy urine tests work, how early they can be used, and some reasons for false positive and negative test results.
Higher atomic number doesn't imply higher atomic mass. At least not always! Sometimes one element of lower atomic number can have a higher atomic mass. Learn about the effect of isotopic ratios on atomic mass.
Here's a worked example of the calculation for carbon 14 dating of organic material. The same principle can be applied to other isotopic ratios used to estimate age.
You may use it every day, but do you know how it works? Learn about emulsions, micelles, and soap scum! Then check out links to sites about bubbles, soapmaking, and the regulation of soap chemistry.
Learn how to synthesize aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, from salicyclic acid. Get information about the history of aspirin, the effects of salicylates, and see the structures of the reactants.
Turn a clear liquid into a red liquid, then back to clear again. This demonstration is commonly called turning water into wine or blood, and can be used to demonstrate acid-base indicators.
Are you looking for examples of endothermic reactions for homework or to set up a demonstration? Here's a list of several heat-absorbing or endothermic chemical reactions and processes.
Learn how to distiguish between solutions, suspensions, colloids, and dispersions. Get examples of the different types of mixtures.
Chemistry isn't just for chemists! Here's a nice long list of chemistry-related careers, along with a discussion on how your degree impacts your employment options.
This is the list of my personal favorite chemistry demonstrations and activities. They tend to involve pretty colors, fire, or ice. Some projects require adult supervision or access to a chemistry lab. Others are easy and safe enough for kids to perform.
Make your chemistry laboratory experience safe by following these simple rules.
Do you know the chemical composition of the human body? Here's the list of elements, given in percentage according to weight.
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 corresponding element names.
The properties of the elements exhibit periodicity. Learn how to use the periodic table to predict the trends in atomic radius, ionization energy, electron affinity, and electronegativity.
Get definitions and examples of the main states of matter: solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.
This is a list of common food additives and a description of their uses.
s, p, d, and f are orbital names that stand for
sharp,
principal,
diffuse, and
fundamental. This summary tells more about orbitals and electronic structure.
This is a collection of photographs of the chemical elements. The images are public domain, so you are welcome to download and use them.
Find out what elements are in the human body and what these elements do.
Labs have lists of chemicals that don't go together, but it isn't as easy to avoid dangerous mixtures with home chemicals because they aren't pure substances. Here's some help. Be safe and don't mix these common household chemicals.
Are you wondering what makes a chemical a chemical? Here's the answer to this frequently asked chemistry question.
Get the definition for a chemical element.
Get the definition for a crystal and learn about some common types of crystals.
No, we're not talking about the small burrowing mammal! Here's a look at a standard unit in chemistry and why it's used.
Grasp the basic chemical concepts of titration, a technique used to determine the molarity of an acid or a base.
Learn about absolute zero and the Kelvin and Celsius temperature scales.
Activated charcoal isn't the same as your average barbeque briquette! It's a special type of carbon. Learn what activated charcoal is and why it is used in filters and medicines.
Are you confused about atoms, elements, protons, neutrons, electrons, isotopes, and ions? Here's a basic look at the model of the atom. It's a great overview for kids or anyone looking to grasp the essentials of atomic theory.
Learn what a bleach is, get examples of different types, and find out how bleach works.
Here are long and short answers to this Frequently Asked Question.
Distillation is a common chemistry process used to separate materials by changing their states of matter. Learn more about how the process works and find out about different types of distillations.
Have you heard about Mole Day? Here's a look at what Mole Day is, when Mole Day is observed, and what you can do to celebrate Mole Day.
Learn about natural and induced radioactivity and alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.
This handy technique is used to desalinate seawater and purify bottled water. Find out how it works!
Soap is a salt made from a chemical reaction between fat and sodium or potassium hydroxide. This article explains the saponification reaction both in words and with structure diagrams and provides links for further information.
Learn to distinguish between ionic and covalent bonds, and determine whether a bond will be polar or nonpolar.
Learn about the difference between these two common cooking ingredients, the effect of substitutions, and find out how you can use baking soda to make your own baking powder.
Learn about strong and weak acids and bases. Get definitions and examples of each type.
Find out what the IUPAC is and learn a little about about what the IUPAC does.
I'll give you a hint: it isn't styrofoam! The world's lightest solid resembles a sort of solid smoke, with a density of only 19 grams per liter.
Learn what the greenhouse effect is and how it is related to climate.
The Mohs Scale of Hardness measures how well a substance resists scratching by another material. You can use this scale to test the hardness of rocks, minerals, and crystals, to help identify them.
The elemental composition of the universe and the earth's crust are very different! How different? Take a look...
I've had some scorched coffee that I'm sure should have qualified for this award, but it turns out there's a real answer to this question of taste. Do you know what it is?
How poisonous something is depends a lot on how it's administered and a several other factors, but this list will give you a general look at some of the most toxic substances known to man.
Here's a table of the pH of several common chemicals. You can use the list to set up color ranges for pH indicators or simply to learn more about acids and bases.
Science fair and research projects apply the scientific method. Here's an informal explanation of the scientific method and how it is used.
There are some man-made chemicals with a stench well beyond the gentle perfume of dirty gym socks and skunk spray. Do you know the names of these super-stinkers?
What is the state of matter of fire or flame? Is it a liquid, solid, or gas? Learn the answer to this question and get information about the chemistry of fire.
Do you know what the strongest acid is? I'll give you a hint. It's not hydrochloric acid nor is it sulfuric acid.
Did you know there are sweeteners that are 200,000 times sweeter than table sugar? Take a look at this list to find out how your favorite sweetener rates.
Black lights emit ultraviolet radiation, giving certain materials an eerie glow. Which materials? You can do a little experimental research or you can check out this list!
Learn why you should review a returned chemistry test and how to do it to gain the most benefit from the exam.
Alphabetical list of the chemical elements named after people.
Alphabetical list of elements in chemistry named for places or element toponyms.
This is an index of famous chemists and other scientists who made important contributions to the field of chemistry, arranged alphabetically according to the scientist's last name.
Find out who did what and when they did it. This timeline chronicles achievements in chemistry and in other disciplines (e.g., physics, mathematics) as they apply to chemistry.
Here's a question and answer from the About Chemistry forum.
There are excellent reasons why you would want to do a science fair project, even if it isn't for a grade.
Learn why apples, pears, bananas, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables turn brown when they are cut or damaged.
Find out why you cry when you cut onions and how you can keep it from happening.
Worried about failing chemistry? Here's a look at the main reasons why students fail. Avoiding these common problems could be a key to science class success!
Learn about hydrogen bonding and density to understand why ice floats on water.
Have you ever wondered why lb is used as the symbol for the pounds unit? Here's the answer to the question.
Learn about the chemistry of stainless steel. This article, from your About Guide, also includes descriptions of the different types of stainless steels, comments on passivation, and numerous links to sites offering related information.
