Sniffing out Trouble – Analysing the composition of almost any surface
Oct21

Sniffing out Trouble – Analysing the composition of almost any surface

Scientists in Zurich, Switzerland have up with a sensitive new way to analyse the composition of almost any surface, including human skin by blowing a stream of nitrogen across the surface under analysis and collect the gas together with any debris that it dislodges. The material is then fed into a mass spectrometer that can pick apart the chemical composition of anything present on the surface.

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How does soap work?
Jun17

How does soap work?

A bar of soap is a chemical miracle – a little scented block that unleashes molecular forces when dunked in water. In this article we look how this little miracle actually works.

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Elemental Questions : What is Fire Made of ?
May20

Elemental Questions : What is Fire Made of ?

Fire – one of the most primitive and yet intriguing of the ‘fundamental elements in our world. Indeed one of the things that differentiates mankind from the rest of the animal kingdom is his ability to make and control fire. but : What is fire made of ? What is its atomic structure? What causes things to burst into flame in the first place and why can’t all materials be made to produce flame ?

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Fantastic Plastic – What would the world do without this technological wonderstuff
May19

Fantastic Plastic – What would the world do without this technological wonderstuff

There are some discoveries and inventions which have literally revolutionsied the way we live and changed teh direction of technology and therefore mankind. Plastics are one of them.

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How is the Caloric Value of Food Measured?
May01

How is the Caloric Value of Food Measured?

The Caloric value of food appears everywhere today. It’s almost as if there’s some malevolent conspiracy to make us feel bad about that chocolate bar or bag of crisps we like to snack on. But how do they estimate the calorific values and is it very accurate ?

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How do plants feed ?
Sep02

How do plants feed ?

How do plants feed? The answers quite ingenious … most plants create meals for themselves in the form of sugar. This process is called photosynthesis (‘photo’ meaning light and ‘synthesis’ meaning to make) in other words making food with light !

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Why is the sea salty?
Aug15

Why is the sea salty?

A litre of seawater contains about 7 teaspoons of salt – that’s about 35g. But how did it get so salty ?

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Puerile Chemistry – or “What the boys get up to in the lab” – Sexibenzarsole (and other unmentionalbe compounds)
Aug20

Puerile Chemistry – or “What the boys get up to in the lab” – Sexibenzarsole (and other unmentionalbe compounds)

In this article we find proof that British Chemists do have a sense of humour .. well a puerile one at least.

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We are Stardust …
Dec28

We are Stardust …

We are Stardust … the chemical elements that make up our bodies, originated, with one exception, in the turbulent body of a star

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Mr Global Disaster
Jul03

Mr Global Disaster

What would you say if much of the causes of global warming and pollution that the world is currently struggling with could be traced back to one man ?

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