Facts on Chemical Science

Chemistry is one of the subjects which often arouses fear and misconceptions and is often considered absurdly difficult by students. However, it can be fun, interesting, and extremely relatable if that effort is employed in the subject and the background research is concrete.

• One of the most unknown facts about our body is that we have enough graphite to produce about 9000 pencils which is not only bizarre but also a fact which makes us special and different than other mammals.
• The airbags which are deployed in our cars have toxic salts in them which are also called azides which expand to form nitrogen and end up saving our lives during accidents. This is a major reason why modern cars advertise airbags because they actually can prevent fatal situations.
• One fact which shall make you rethink your diet choices is that - lemons have more sugar than strawberries. It is shocking and hard to believe that something so sour contains more sugar than something so sweet, but then chemistry is always full of surprises.
• The particularly fresh and lingering smell behind the air after a strong thunderstorm is not some magic or rarity but instead a chemical reaction that produces a strong smell. This compound is also called ozone and is created after the reactions in the sky during the thunderstorm.
• A very important baking fact is that stale eggs will float in water and fresh eggs will sink. This helps bakers often decide and understand which egg can be used and which can’t. Next time you decide to bake a cake of your own, use water to figure out the fresh eggs.
• Who doesn’t like delicious food? But what if we couldn’t taste that food? Thanks to this liquid being produced in our mouths i.e. saliva we can break down the food and taste it also. This helps us enjoy all delicacies and makes our life so much better.
• Oxygen which is clear to the human eye and is not visible takes on the color blue when it becomes liquid. This has been noticed and scientifically proven which makes it surprising and also very pictographically aesthetic.
• The softest substance known to mankind is talc which justifies why babies use it and so do adults. It is soothing and is specially used in summers to remove irritation and itching and make the affected/sensitive spot neutral.

By –Akshita Chugh