Chemistry

  1. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Base

    Bases are chemicals that contain negatively charged chemical groups made from oxygen and hydrogen. They lend coffee its bitter flavor and have pH rankings higher than 7.0.

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  2. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Acid

    When a chemical tastes sour, ranks below 7.0 on the pH scale and has many hydrogen ions in its solution, it gets a special name.

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  3. Chemistry

    News Brief: 2016 brings four new elements

    U.S., Russian and Japanese scientists have just been credited with official discoveries of elements 113, 115, 117 and 118. Next up: Naming them.

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  4. Earth

    Mystery ‘earmuffs’ sit deep inside Earth

    Two vast blobs in Earth’s lower mantle could result from a “trainwreck” of ancient colliding tectonic plates.

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  5. Earth

    Rocks hold clues to ancient die-offs

    Rocks that formed during ancient mass-extinction show that the oceans back then had become very warm. That was the last time Earth spewed carbon dioxide into its atmosphere at a rate similar to what is happening today.

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  6. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Keratin

    Keratin is a fibrous protein that gives our nails and hair their strength.

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  7. Agriculture

    Building better, safer soils

    Engineering safer soils for urban growers can reduce the risk of lead exposure and let low-income families enjoy more fresh fruits and vegetables.

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  8. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Joule

    A joule is the amount of work done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter. It’s also the energy required to produce one watt for one second.

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  9. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Radioactive

    Some atoms have unstable centers. They periodically give off energy. This activity has a special description.

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  10. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Osmosis

    When two solutions are separated by a membrane where only the liquid can cross, the liquid will move from the side with a low concentration of dissolved materials to the side with a higher concentration. This movement has a special name.

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  11. Chemistry

    Some 3-D printing can leave toxic taint

    The ”ink” inside some 3-D printers can leave toxic traces. In tests, these chemicals harmed baby fish. But lighting could render the parts safer.

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  12. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Dioxide

    Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and zirconium dioxide all have something in common. They are all molecules with two oxygens bound to some other element.

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