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Chemicals/Questions Answered by Expert Leo Carr

SubjectDate Asked
copper8/11/2006
  Q: My shower is staining blue-green, and I think it's my new copper pipes. The system has been ...
  A: Dylan, Yes your pH is too low. What you probably need is a water neutralizer. This will raise your ...
chemical that gives a burnt electrical wire smell8/8/2006
  Q: what is the chemical(s) responsible for the smell an electric wire has when it is burning? what ...
  A: Larry, More that not, the smell you refer to is probably the conduit or sheathing that covers the ...
propylene glycol & ivermectin7/17/2006
  Q: The Ivermectin solution I'm referring to is a cattle injectable. Ivermectin is the same chemical ...
  A: It makes perfect sense not to dilute it in water if it carries with it surfactants, buffers, and ...
propylene glycol & ivermectin7/15/2006
  Q: Would propylene glycol be a good solution to mix with an Ivermectin solution. I'm wanting to reduce ...
  A: I am not sure what ivermectin solution is, but after a quick search I see it is an anti-parasite ...
Oil/Water Separation7/14/2006
  Q: I was eating and saw oil on the water's surface and wondered how do you separate oil from water? Is ...
  A: Maryann, One simple way to separate the two would be by using their densities. You know that ...
Bleach6/22/2006
  Q: I think that's what is called an about face, you say I can do it then you say' "Go buy some ...
  A: Look, it is up to you. In the course of this discussion, you probably could have purchased ...
Bleach6/21/2006
  Q: How much would you recommend I use? Should I depend on the dishwasher to rinse it off well, or ...
  A: I really would not use any bleach in the dishwasher. It may invalidate the warranty. It may not ...
Earth water6/17/2006
  Q: Out of space debris, dust, etc, pulled together by gravity into a hot molten ball, where did all the ...
  A: I'm not sure if there is one theory on where water came from. I know one theory is that comets, ...
Chlorinated Water6/16/2006
  Q: When boiling chlorinated water, does the chlorine boil off before the water boils?
  A: From what I have read the boiling point of hypochlorite, which is the source of "chlorine" for water ...
Dry Ice6/7/2006
  Q: I was just wondering. What excatly is Dry Ice ? Also my friend said that you can spray it or put it ...
  A: Dry ice is carbon dioxide. It is cooled to the point of sublimation, i.e. normally a gas it ...
s5/19/2006
  Q: How do I remove a newspaper ink stain from linoleum?
  A: Inks and chemical dyes can be difficult to remove. I would recommend rubbing some bleach directly ...
pepsi and sweettarts and bottle caps the candy5/17/2006
  Q: what causes the reaction when u add pepsi and sweettarts and or "bottle caps" in a 2 liter bottle
  A: This reaction is a physical one and not chemical. Soda is mostly water, the water produces a ...
Separating Mixtures5/16/2006
  Q: I'm in Year 8 and I would like to know - What is simplest and best way to separate a mixture of ...
  A: First determine what the mixture components are soluble in. For example you know that salt is ...
science5/11/2006
  Q: How do you know that a chemical or physical change happened?
  A: Physical would be something you can see. For example, an ice cube melts. A chemical change is ...
gases, chemical reaction5/10/2006
  Q: What is the exact method used to measure the amount of gas produced by a chemical reaction?
  A: One way is to use a buret. You would fill it with water record the initial volume, run the reaction ...
Electrochemical cell5/10/2006
  Q: When a copper/magnesium cell was set up (1M copper(II)sulphate solution and 1M magnesium sulphate ...
  A: 1. Are sure the concentrations are close to 1M? 2. Ensure your salt bridge is wet if using filter ...
Why oil and water separate.5/7/2006
  Q: I was wondering why oil separates from water, I understand that the oil is more dense than the ...
  A: It has to do with their chemical make-up which affects their physical behavior. Oil is made up of ...
Compressing CO2 gas4/20/2006
  Q: Is there any way of compressing CO2 gas without using the big equipment that I have found on the ...
  A: Peter, Have you checked with any plant/flower catalogs? They might have something small for a ...
gas4/14/2006
  Q: which gases are filled in ac's,refrigerator,cooking gas cylinder,air balloon,balloon.
  A: The gas that is used in air conditioners and refrigerators are types of FREON. These are ...
Acids and Bases4/13/2006
  Q: Is water an acid, base, or neutral?
  A: This is a good question. First is is considered neutral. Why? When water is by itself in a ...
Acids4/4/2006
  Q: Ginger ale and sulfuric acid are both acids, so I was wondering why it is dangerous to drink ...
  A: It's a good basic chemistry question. I would not classify ginger ale as an acid, but it does ...
Suggested resources?4/4/2006
  Q: I was wondering if you could recommend any resources for inexpensive at-home lab experiments for ...
  A: Kelsey, You can try the web site below for more information. It is the American Chemical ...
Acids and Bases4/3/2006
  Q: Is a dill pickle an acid or a base?
  A: I am not sure if a dill pickle is an acid or base, but if it is indeed "pickled" then it would be an ...
chemical bonding3/28/2006
  Q: 1.examples of unreactive elements 2.examples of chemical bonding with strong and weak electrostatic ...
  A: 1. Some examples of "elements" that are non-reactive would be the noble gases. Why? Due to their ...
Hydrates3/27/2006
  Q: I have a sample that is either barium chloride, magnesium sulfate, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate ...
  A: Andrew, One way to approach this problem is too break it down into analysis for anions and/or ...

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Leo Carr

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Expertise

I can answer most questions on general chemistry, both lecture and lab. I cannot answer most questions regarding sub-topics such as organic and biochemistry questions.

Experience

Chemist for just under 20yrs. Currently work as a laboratory manager in the departments of chemistry, biology, and physics. Teach chemistry as an adjunct at my primary college and at a local university.

Organizations
American chemical Society, National Registry of Certified Chemists, National Association of Scientific Material Managers, Chemical Heritage Society

Education/Credentials
B.S., M.S.

Awards and Honors
Certified Chemical Hygiene Officer

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