The Science

Man invented fire ages ago and till date, fire is an indispensable aspect of our everyday life. Right from cooking to light, we use fire directly or indirectly. We use matchsticks for lighting the lamp and also for many other things. The matchsticks have phosphorus and let us now find out more about phosphorus....  Phosphorus: The Bringer of Light Ever since man discovered fire, it has been an indispensable aspect of our everyday life. Wondering what phosphorus has to do with fire? Keep reading... Let there be Light (Phosphorus) Phosphorus has the ability to ignite readily and hence is used as the main constituent in the heads of matches. It smoulders in air, and when it is warmed, it bursts into flames thereby producing thick, acidic smoke. In the late 17th century, a German alchemist named Hennig Brandt heated the solid residue that was formed by the evaporation of urine. The distilled vapour glowed in the dark. As a result of this observation, Brandt named...

If you have been in the kitchen when your mother boils some water or milk, you may notice the flame of the gas burner turns yellow when liquid comes in contact with the flame. Did you know that there is chemistry at work behind this? The story of sodium ions A natural gas flame is yellow because of burning sodium atoms or ions. Water consists of salt dissolved in it. Common salt is sodium chloride. This is why you may notice that water that falls on the burners grill and evaporates leaves a white residue left on it. This white residue is salt. At the same time the sodium ionizes releasing photons that give the yellow. You may have also seen this yellow emission of sodium atoms in sodium lamps, which produce yellow light due to this reason. Even the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet is yellow for the same reason. The colour of a flame The colour of a flame is also determined by the oxygen that is available to it. You may see that in your school chemistry lab the B...

Adhesive tape is a tape that is coated with adhesive either on one side or both, and used for temporarily or permanently joining two overlapping materials. Adhesive tape is something we all use in our daily lives. It serves a number of purposes. Its convenience makes it virtually indispensable in our homes and while at work. If for example, you accidentally tear an important document at work, you reach for an adhesive tape to fix it in a jiffy. Though this invention has become indispensable in our lives, have you ever thought about what is the science behind this invention? History of adhesive tape Natural adhesives like beeswax, resin and bitumen have been used for a long time. The ancient Egyptians used glue made from animal skin and bones for woodworking. Medieval monks used egg white to bind gold leaves to their illuminated manuscripts. The 19th century saw the advent of rubber and pyroxylin cements. Adhesive tape was invented in 1925 by American inventor Richar...

When we say the word "carbon monoxide", the first thing that comes to our mind is pollution and dangerous diseases that are associated with it. Let us find out more about this otherwise harmless molecule..... Carbon Monoxide: Useful but Deadly The word "carbon monoxide" is associated with deadly diseases and pollution. However, in reality, it is a simple molecule that regularly gets a bad reputation in the press! It is in fact quite useful in many parts of the chemical industry. Let us reintroduce you to Carbon Monoxide Carbon monoxide is a very versatile element and forms the basis for all of organic chemistry. It is the main greenhouse gas and is constantly monitored by pressure groups throughout the world. Carbon monoxide is made up of molecules containing one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. Both of these atoms join together with a multiple covalent bond . The molecule formed as a result is used to make useful chemicals such as aldehydes, ...

An eraser is an instrument of stationery used to remove pencil and sometimes pen marks. It is rather interesting to know that before the invention of erasers slabs of wax and breadcrumbs were used to 'wipe out' charcoal or lead marks from paper. Can you imagine doing that in the classroom? The first pencils were discovered around 1560's but people did not have anything that could rub out the marks with. The first erasers The history of the first erasers dates back all the way back to 1770 when Joseph Priestley discovered a vegetable gum that possessed the ability to 'rub out' pencil marks. Quite similarly, in the same year, Edward Nairne, an English engineer discovered rubber's erasing properties. This was the first practical use of the substance in the whole of Europe. When the facts don't stretch It was noticed that while the rubber softened in warm weather, it became hard in cold conditions. What 's more, the first rubbers had an ...

What's common to petrol, fertilizers, cars and soaps? They, like a lot of other things, require sulfuric acid to be made. That's why sulfuric acid is called the king of chemicals. The uses of sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid is involved, in some way or the other, in the manufacture of practically everything. Indeed, the production of sulfuric acid is sometimes used as a measure of how industrially advanced a country is. India produces about 48 lakh tonnes of this acid a year. 60% of all sulfuric acid produced is mixed with crushed phosphate rock to make phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid has two uses - to make phosphate fertilizers, and to make sodium triphosphate, which is a detergent. Lots of sulfuric acid is used to clean up rust from steel rolls. These cleaned up rolls are used to make cars, trucks, as well as household appliances. Sulfuric acid is used in petroleum refining to make high-octane petrol, which burns efficiently. It is put in the lead-acid batter...

If you've seen a well being cleaned, you may have noticed that a reddish brown powder is thrown into it. That would be potassium permanganate, which is one of chemistry's most useful substances. The germ fighter Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidising agent when dissolved in water. KMnO 4 + H 2 O → MnO 2 + K + + OH - + O * The oxygen free radical is a powerful toxin, and kills off bacteria and fungi. That's why potassium permanganate is used to clean not just wells, but also fish tanks, water storage tanks, water pipes etc. You can use a dilute solution of KMnO 4 (which is pinkish red in colour) to treat mild skin infections, bruises, sores etc. But don't ever use it on cuts or deeper wounds. If you keep an aquarium, you can use a very mild solution to keep your fishes free from bacteria. It is used in laboratories, poultry farms and hospital wards as a fumigation agent to kill fungi. During fumigation, the cleaner puts one gram of potassium ...