Malvina's Chemistry Blog

A blog dedicated to chemistry in every day experiences!

[yes-meganchemistry-things-blog]

Going to the movie theatre wasn’t complete without a big bag of buttery popcorn. But how exactly does popcorn work? This article tells us! http://chemistry.about.com/b/2014/02/08/how-popcorn-pops.htm

Popcorn starts off as a kernel. These kernels are coated and inside of them is water and...

[malvinachemistry-blog]

After reading Megan’s blog about popcorn I am able to infer that making popcorn, and almost every other way of cooking food is a chemical reaction. In the beginning of the year we noted that signs a chemical reaction is occurring are heat given off, a change of matter, change of color, gas produced, etc. We know that popcorn is a chemical reaction because as Megan mentioned the kernel changed its form of matter and steam (a gas) was released to create this delicious treat!

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Post-it Notes!

Since I am constantly using sticky notes to remember important things I decided to find out how they relate to chemistry. Sticky notes are partially adhesive, detachable note papers that have revolutionized memo making. They can be placed exactly where you want them without any tacks, paper clips, or staples, they are reliable since they do not easily float away, nor do they leave glue stains or dents.

The basic element in the self-adhesive note is, of course, paper. All different types of assorted color pads are common. The key ingredient is the unique polymer adhesive which makes the note pads "temporarily sticky" so they may be removed from a surface and reused. A machine applies the adhesive, stacks the paper, and cuts the paper pads to the specific sizes.

Preparing the glue

The polymer-based adhesive is mixed and placed into the machine which applies the glue to the paper.

Preparing the paper

For preprinted pads, the memo headings are printed onto large sheets of paper. The paper is placed into the machine and prepared to be fed through the priming device.

As the paper passes through the machine, continuous rollers prime the back side of the paper with a substrate. Next, the polymer glue is applied on top of the substrate.

Forming the pads

As the paper passes from the glue application, another device stacks the sheets of paper on top of each other to form large pads. Attached to the bottom of the pad is a piece of paper listing the company and brand names.

5 The pads are cut into smaller square and rectangular pads in the standard sizes, ranging from the smaller 1.5 by 2.0 inches (3.8 by 5.1 cm) to 8.5 by 11 (22 by 28 cm). Then they are packaged and shipped. 

[chemistry2013-14]

Recently, I was thinking about shampoo and how it relates to chemistry! Chemistry is important in every aspect of life, so I was curious about shampoo! There are plenty of chemicals and compounds used in shampoo, so I decided to learn more about it. I did some research, and was able to compare chemistry and shampoo together!

I looked up how shampoo even works. Firstly, hair has a protective coating called sebum. This is a greasy substance that hair is coated in, and it protects the hair. Sebum can give hair a healthy shine, but also make it look dirty. Sebum can cause hair to stick together and look dirty if too much is made. Sebum attracts dust and dirt. Sebum is also hydrophobic, which means hair is waterproof. This is why just rinsing your hair does not fully clean it, since it does not remove the oils and sebum in hair. That’s where shampoo comes in.

Shampoo is a detergent. Detergents work as surfactants, which lowers surface tension. This means hair is less likely to stick to oils or stick to itself. Part of the detergent is hydrophobic, and it is hydrocarbon. This bonds to the sebum of hair. There is also a hydrophilic part in detergents, which means when you rinse your hair, the sebum and shampoo leaves, too.

I decided to focus more on how shampoo works, rather than what is in shampoo.  Shampoo is similar to chemistry because it deals with bonding and breaking bonds. We learned in class about bonding before. Also, sebum is a chemical in hair, which is also related to chemistry. Shampoo is another example of how chemistry is used in daily life.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/howcleanerswork/a/How-Shampoo-Works.htm

[malvinachemistry-blog]

After reading this blog from Lindsey I remember writing a similar post about how hair products work. I did further research to find out why washing your hair frequently is not good for it to look and feel healthy. Hair can be considered a fiber and washing it everyday wears it down. This also can dry out your scalp because the natural oils are washed away from the shampoo. This is because the oils from the scalp do not travel down the hair shaft as quickly, so the hair tends to dry out. Natural oils nourish your hair and give it shine. When harsh chemicals are used everyday on your hair then it can become damaged resulting in split ends, fraying, and a dry texture. It is best to stay away from shampoos with these harsh chemicals.

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Chemistry of Cleaning Clothes

While doing my laundry today I wondered how a cup of detergent cleans soiled jeans, towels, socks, and other articles in your wash?  After research I found the answer is that chemical properties of various types of dirt and stains disappear with cleaning agents that chemically interact with them.

Dirt and stains typically consist of particles, such as minerals from soil, protein and other organic matter from living things, or bits of black carbon. The particles are trapped on cloth fibers by grease and oil, which cannot be dissolved in water. Detergents and soap help break up the grease and oil, removing the stains.

Soaps, detergents, cleaning fluids, and many emergency stain removers are effective cleaners because they can dissolve and suspend the oil and grease that holds dirt in place. The grease and trapped soil particles then can be carried away in the water or dry-cleaning solution.

Soap and detergent seem similar, but the two cleaners differ. Soaps are generally made from natural fats and oils and are excellent for cleaning our hands, face, and body, because the loosened dirt is rinsed away immediately. Detergents are synthetic mixtures of ingredients that not only clean clothes but also prevent redeposition of dirt, discourage scum formation, and possess other useful properties. The most important advantage of detergents is the ability to clean effectively in hard water.

source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/the-chemistry-of-cleaning-clothes-info1.htm

[chemistry2013-14]

relating it back to chemistry: contact lenses

When I saw that Stephanie did a post on contact lenses, I was really interested in reading it and learning more about them! I was fascinated about chemistry’s importance on contact lenses! You can see Stephanie’s whole post at this url, http://stephaniehparkchemistry.tumblr.com/post/72930459724/lets-link-chemistry-contact-lenses.

From her post, I learned so much. I learned that originally, contact lenses were made out of glass! Like Stephanie, I was shocked by this information! Then, it transitioned from glass to being made out of plastic! Wow! That is crazy! Contact lenses now are clear, malleable, and a strong acrylic polymer.

After reading her blog, I did my own research! I learned that contact lenses work by refracting light! The bending light helps focus the retina, so then the person wearing the lenses have clearer vision. In chemistry class, we learned a lot about light and wavelengths! In Rutherford’s gold-foil experiment, light was also refracted and reflected! 

I also learned that the more hydrophilic, which means water loving, a contact lens is, the more comfortable they are to wear. This is because it allows water to freely move throughout the eye. 

Clearly, chemistry is super important in daily life, and contact lenses. From Stephanie’s post, I learned a lot about the impact of chemistry. She related contact lenses and chemistry really well. I decided to do my own research, and learned a lot more, too! There is so much information about contact lenses, and chemistry is really important in it. Great job, Stephanie!

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/cosmetic-treatments/contact-lens2.htm

[malvinachemistry-blog]

After reading Lindsey and Stephanie's post I am reminded of how I should look into getting contacts because I hate wearing glasses. I decided to do some even more research of my own... there are contacts that can be worn for a day, a week, two weeks, and even up to a month! Soft lenses are only to be worn for a short period of time and are made soft to allow oxygen to pass through the cornea. Newer soft lenses can be made of silicone-hydrogels to provide even more oxygen and ensure comfort. Extended contact lenses are for long term use, these are made of flexible plastics. 

[w0rldofchemistry-blog]

Everyday Chemistry - What goes into making a pencil

     A pencil is a utensil that a student like myself uses everyday especially in math, chemistry, and when I do basketball stats. Pencils used to be made of lead, however now pencils are made of graphite. This is ironic because everyone calls them lead pencils even though they're not produced with lead anymore. Now pencils are made by grinding graphite and mixing it with clay and water. This will produce a paste substance that is then transferred into tubes to form the core of the pencil. Cedar wood is usually then used to form the casing around the graphite core, but first the core is superheated while in the metal tube so that it becomes smooth. The graphite rods are then fitted to the grooves in the pencil, and the eraser and grips are then added.

There are so many types of pencils that you have to classify one from another. To do so you have to follow certain steps. Firstly, pencils are classified for their darkness. "H" stands for hardness while "B" stands for blackness. This means that a pencil that is "9B" is lighter than a pencil labeled "9H." The harder the graphite is the lighter the pencil shade will be. This rule applies to all pencils.

This relates to chemistry because graphite is used in the making of a pencil. Graphite has chemistry behind it as well as wood and the other parts of the pencil. Maybe for my fellow classmates, someone can find the chemistry of an eraser or a full pencil? That might be interesting! If anyone does find anything, let me know!

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Erasers help you to get rid of your mistakes. Modern erasers are made of rubber, vinyl, plastic, gum, or similar materials, but the idea of them dates back to Mayan times. They work by picking up graphite particles from the  surface of paper, so the molecules in the erasers and stickier than the ones in the graphite making it easy for them to disappear. All students know the difference of a good eraser from a bad and how effectively they work, this all has to do with the substance they are made of! Gum erasers are for large areas and leave behind residue and vinyl ones are soft and tend to leave few marks.

[richieg06]

http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/Laundering_money_—_literally_—_could_save_billions_of_dollars.asp

-As money travels around, it eventually gets very dirty or something happens to it causing it to be shredded. Instead of destroying it, scientists have discovered a new way to clean paper money in order to prevent it from being shredded. This could save billions of dollars and decrease the environmental impact that banknote disposal has. 

-This is important because it can save a tremendous amount of money, while also benefiting the environment. As a nation, we are in a tremendous amount of debt, and saving billions a year because of this will help us pay our debt. Also, this benefiting the environment is very important because it is one less thing that takes part in destroying the environment. 

[malvinachemistry-blog]

The paper money is made out of is usually infused with gelatin or polyvinyl in order to make it stronger than regular paper. The thread is an important security mark on a dollar and is usually made of metallic, fluorescent, and magnetic components. The paper is made to not only be flexible, but to keep away as much dirt as possible so the money can be used for many years. 

[slazieh]

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/scicurious/caffeine-little-memory-jolt-garners-lot-excitement

Studies of the effects of caffeine on the body have always sparked conversation among scientists, media, and even the general public. A new development has reported that caffeine could give a jolt...

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Additionally, I researched that caffeine is very addictive and it stimulates the central nervous system, heart rate, respiration, and can affect your moods. Caffeine is produced in certain plants, coffee beans, cacao beans, and tea. In plants caffeine acts as a natural pesticide. Other names for caffeine are coffeine, theine, mateine, or methlytheobromine. 

[chemistryinreality]

Music taste and YOU

We have all heard that music can change a person’s mood and also tells about a person’s personality often times. Music helps in providing the brain with pleasure and often times relieves stress. In a study of couples who spent time getting to know each other, looking at each other’s top ten favorite songs actually provided fairly reliable predictions as to the listener’s personality traits. The study used five personality traits for the test: openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability. Some traits were more accurately predicted based on the person’s listening habits than others.

Try to see what your music taste says about you:

Blues fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle, and at ease

Jazz fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, and at ease

Classical music fans have high self-esteem, are creative, introverts, and at ease

Rap fans have high self-esteem and are outgoing

Opera fans have high self-esteem, are creative, and gentle

Country and western fans are hardworking and outgoing

Reggae fans have high self-esteem, are creative, not hardworking, outgoing, gentle, and at ease

Dance fans are creative and outgoing but not gentle

Indie fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard working, and not gentle

Bollywood fans are creative and outgoing

Rock/heavy metal fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, and at ease

Chart pop fans have high self-esteem, are hardworking, outgoing, and gentle, but are not creative and not at ease

Soul fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle, and at ease

http://lifehacker.com/how-music-affects-the-brain-and-how-it-benefits-you-1469597259

[malvinachemistry-blog]

This seems very accurate! Did you know that when you like a song there is a psychological and neurochemical process going on through your body that cause an enjoyable experience while listening. Music can increase levels of serotonin in the body that make you feel good.

[melbelblue2]

Tape: The Sticky Solution

Adhesive tape is a tape that is coated with adhesive either on one side or both sides, and used for temporarily or permanently joining two overlapping materials. There are many different kinds of tape that serve different functions. There is adhesive tape that is small and clear, gaffer tape that is made of thick fabric or plastic, brown duct tape used for sealing cartons, masking tape used to cover wall space to prevent from paint drip, electrical tape made of vinyl (a poor conductor of electricity), surgical tape used to hold a dressing on a wound, and many more types. Clearly tape serves many functions and is very helpful throughout our daily lives.

Before the adhesives mentioned above were invented, 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. Other natural adhesives are beeswax, resin, and bitumen.

Adhesive tape was invented in 1925 by American inventor Richard Drew. He used cellophane paper to create tape with a sticky surface and made it specifically for industrial purposes, but found it to be useful for packaging as well. Adhesive tape works on the basis of pressure sensitive adhesives. The adhesives are soft polymer blends that stick to a surface using Van der Waals force, when you lightly apply pressure. This is the attractive and repulsive forces that occur between the atoms, molecules and surfaces of an object. Backing materials used for adhesive tape are paper, polyethylene or vinyl. To make sure the tape doesn’t stick to itself, there is a release coating on the substance. (This is why you can have a roll of tape.) Polyvinyl carbamate is a common substance used as the release coating and on the other side is the primer which attaches the tape to the backing. The adhesive used in these tapes are polymers, the most common being water-based acrylics. Other substances are added to increase the stickiness of the tape.

Thee most common materials from which adhesive tapes are made today are cellphone, acrylic, fiberglass, silicone, foil, rubber, and paper depending on the needed strength. Tape can sometimes be a better alternative then glue.

This relates to chemistry because different materials and substances are used to make a sticky substance. Tape proves to be very useful and is commodity that would be hard to live without.

http://humantouchofchemistry.com/the-sticky-truth-about-adhesive-tape.htm

[malvinachemistry-blog]

This is very informative! I also learned that the adhesion and cohesion between two materials is not a chemical bond although you would think it is. The tape only adheres due to pressure not a chemical change. 

[okspenco-blog]

Crying Over Onions

Today my sister was chopping onions and I saw her constantly wiping her face. I noticed she was crying and I new it was because of the onions. But why do onions make your eyes tear up? Well today we are going to solve this old myth with a little bit of chemistry.

When you cut open an onion you are releasing all the gasses and moisture contained inside of it. These gasses go up into your face and eyes and something in them causes you to tear up. This component in onions that makes your eyes water is called the lachrymatory factor. The lachrymatory factor irritates the eyes and stimulates the tear glands to produce tears.

Why does it produce tears you may ask? Well when cutting open an onion you are also releasing amino acid sulfoxides which form sulfenic acid. Enzymes within the onion that were kept separate mix with the sulfenic acid to form propanethiol S-oxide. Propanethiol S-oxide is a sulfur compound. This gas reacts with water in your tears to form sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid burns your eyes when you cut open onions and needs to be washed away with more tears.

That is why you need your tear glands to produce tears. This would also explain why tearing up only occurs when you are cutting onions. When cooking onions the enzymes are inactivated and you do not experience the same irritant in your eyes.

http://somethingaboutscience.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/why-do-onions-make-you-cry-the-chemistry-and-health-benefits-of-onions/

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryfaqs/f/onionscry.htm

[malvinachemistry-blog]

After doing some research I found some ways to prevent this. You could use a very sharp knife that smoothly cuts through the onion without breaking too many enzymes, chill the onion in the freezer, wear glasses or goggles, cut it under water, light a candle, or even putting vinegar on the chopping board!

[justine-chem-5]

Ice cream is my favorite thing to eat, but I’ve never wondered how its made. I mean you have your usual ingredients sugar, milk, and vanilla, but i would have never thought rock salt would be the main component.To begin with, the sugar is made up of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Milk is mostly water with carbs, proteins, vitamins, fats, and minerals. The vanilla contains vanillin, ethyl vanillin and aqueous solvent. The rock salt is made up of crystallized sodium chloride. Each of these ingredients have a job in making the ice cream. Rock salt melts the ice to become liquidy. Ice is used to just keep the ice cream cold. Sugar comes from the glucose and fructose, and this removes the water. The vanilla comes from a vanillin plant, and milk, milk is just made up of all different components.

[malvinachemistry-blog]

I didn’t know all of this! I did more research and found that you can make your own ice cream by placing a ziploc bag with all of the milk, sugar, and cream ingredients inside of a larger bag that contains ice and salt and after vigorously mixing eventually you will get ice cream.

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Blog Entry 44: Face Wash

Everyone wants clear, acne-free skin, the key to this is using a proper face wash. If you're using a bar of body soap on your face, you could end up with skin so dry or irritated that it hurts to smile. That's because body bar soaps often contain sodium lauryl sulfate, an ingredient that will completely diminish the natural oils of your skin, which you need. It's important to understand the chemistry of soap to know what ingredients are in daily contact with your skin. At the microscopic level, soaps are made up of a chain of hydrocarbons. One end of this hydrocarbon chain attaches to grease and oils on your skin while the other end of the chain bonds with water. When the water is rinsed away, the soap and any attached impurities are removed as well. Glycerin is a byproduct of soap making. Soap companies remove the glycerin from soap to create a low-cost basic bar soap. However, when glycerin is left in soap, it can help the skin stay soft by attracting moisture to it. Soaps with glycerin work well as face soaps, except in cases of very oily skin. Other ingredients found in face soap are emollients and humectants, which act as moisturizers. If your skin is very oily or prone to breakouts, a cleanser with benzoyl peroxide can help, though it may cause some irritation.

Source: http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/cleansing/products/face-soap1.htm

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Blog Entry 43: Running Shoes

Some shoes contain cotton, leather, or natural rubber, but what you lace up before a run is probably an assortment of industrial chemicals derived from hydrocarbons. Polyester and polyurethane which are petroleum-based synthetics, make up 36 percent of the weight of the average running shoe. These synthetics are responsible for 57 percent of the carbon footprint of the shoe’s materials. Polyester accounts for 11 percent of the shoe’s weight. It begins as the oil-refinery product paraxylene, which is then transformed into purified terephthalic acid This is the same material for plastic containers. Polyurethane foam, used in the shoe upper, contains tiny air cells produced in a chemical reaction called the “blow reaction.” The blow reaction relies on industrial chemicals called diisocyanates, which along with water, catalysts, and additives produce the heat and gas to make polymers foamy. Chemicals from the diisocyanate family are found in other things like bike helmets to home insulation to impact-absorbing foam in motor vehicles. Carbon black reinforces shoe-sole rubber and protects the polymers from degrading in UV light. These chemicals are all used to make the best fit and comfort while running. 

Source: http://conservationmagazine.org/2012/12/the-origins-of-running-shoes/

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Blog Entry 42: Physics of Figure Skating in the Winter Olympics

Currently on TV is the 2014 Winter Olympics, these games include sports life sledding, skiing, snowboarding, curling, hockey, figure skating and more. Figure skating is something that requires a lot of training, but looks so effortless on the ice. The skaters' routine includes jumps, turns, and speed. Good balance and stability is very important to everything a skater does. The center of mass is the balance point where the mass is most concentrated. In a figure skater this center is in the hip area and the point of support is their skates. It is important to keep the center of mass over the support. Projectile motion is also in important because during jumps the skater does become the projectile and requires velocity vertically and horizontally. The movement is in the shape of a parabola and a major affect to this is gravity. Figure skaters also need stamina, strength, and the ability to do well under pressure. 

Source: http://www.nbclearn.com/science-and-engineering-of-the-2014-olympic-winter-games

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Blog Entry 41: Chocolate

Especially during Valentine's Day or almost any other time of the year chocolate is a popular treat. The chemicals in chocolate candies are what the brain senses which makes it very addictive. These chemicals are caffeine, theobromine, and tryptophan. The reason chocolate is also very liked is because the smooth and creamy texture. Temperature, heat reactions, and the melting point all affect how different kinds of chocolate are made, like dark chocolate for example. It's melting point is somewhere around 98.6 degrees showing why it melts in our mouth or hand if we are holding it. There are more than 1,500 flavor components making it a very complex chemical mixture. The main ingredients are cocoa butter, cocoa beans, and sugar, when the chocolate is made it is in a liquid form then solidifies. As is cools it forms a nice crystalline structure making the final product smooth and delicate.  

Source: http://www.nbclearn.com/portal/site/learn/chemistry-now/chemistry-of-chocolate

[malvinachemistry-blog]

Blog Entry 40: Chemistry of Love

With Valentine's Day coming up it is interesting to learn about how being in love, or thinking you love someone all has to do with chemical signals. Estrogen and testosterone are chemicals that of course play an important role. The initial giddiness of love is due to the chemicals dopamine that produces a feeling of bliss and norepinephrine which is similar to adrenaline and produces the racing heart and excitement. These two chemicals together produce elation, intense energy, sleeplessness, craving, loss of appetite and focused attention. Endorphins are the body's natural painkillers, also play a key role in long-term relationships. They produce a general sense of well-being, including feeling soothed, peaceful and secure. Endorphins are released during physical contact, exercise, etc. Different chemicals are released and cause you to feel differently depending on the length of the relationship and the two people involved. 

source: http://people.howstuffworks.com/love6.htm