Chemicals/Questions Answered by Expert George Maxwell
| Subject | Date Asked |
| alcohol evaporation | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: My husband and I can't agree. Can a glass that once held alcohol still have "alcohol residue" on ... A: Even a quick rinse with cold water would remove most traces of alcohol (certainly below the level ... | |
| alcohol evaporation | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: My husband and I can't agree. Can a glass that once held alcohol still have "alcohol residue" on ... A: and thanks for your question. It is possible for some remnants of alcohol to remain in a glass for ... | |
| REG : mineral water | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: We use to consume boiled mineral water.. is it harmful to human body if we consume boiled mineral ... A: There is no health hazard to consuming boiled or fresh mineral water (unless, of course, the source ... | |
| pH | 3/2/2008 |
| Q: I am doing a science project involving pH. I have individual plants and need to know how to raise ... A: and thank you for your question. The normal method of doing this would be to add a set amount of ... | |
| chemical reaction on smoke detectors | 2/21/2008 |
| Q: Are there any household cleaning chemicals that would cause the smoke detector to continuously chirp ... A: and thanks for your question. No, there are no chemicals that will do this: a smoke detector works ... | |
| Test the efftective of Alocholout product | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: i'd like to ask is thete any method can test the effective of Alocholout product which is supposted ... A: The only reliable method for determining methanol in ethanol concentration is using instrumental ... | |
| Test the efftective of Alocholout product | 2/19/2008 |
| Q: i'd like to ask is thete any method can test the effective of Alocholout product which is supposted ... A: and thank you for your question. I don't know of any detailed test procedure for this product. ... | |
| science - evaporation of liquids | 2/10/2008 |
| Q: i am in sixth grade and i chose my science fair project this week i want to measure and see why 4 ... A: and thanks for your question. There are a few key factors that you might want to think about in ... | |
| Injuries caused by reducing agents? | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: How do powerful reducing agents injure human skin? I know that a reducing agent will donate ... A: and thanks for your question. You're quite right that reducing agents donate electrons, and ... | |
| Chemistry | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: What happenes to napthalene (C10H8) when it is heated? Does it melt? A: and thank you for your question. Napthalene at atmospheric pressure normally sublimes (it turns ... | |
| olbus oil | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: im a regular user of my sauna after the gym and have been using olbus oil on the coals with water ... A: and thank you for your question. I've never heard of a problem with olbus oil, and think you're ... | |
| urine causes vacuum in plastic bottle(sorry, it sounds wierd I know) | 1/12/2008 |
| Q: One day I urinated in a plastic bottle. I meant to properly discard the contents soon after in the ... A: and thanks for your question. This effect will work with any warm liquid,and relies on the fact ... | |
| chemicals for stone eating | 1/8/2008 |
| Q: please tell me any chemical or acid is useful to drill holes by eating the stone using from the ... A: and thank you for your question, The answer depends on the sort of rock you're using. Hydrofluoric ... | |
| interaction acid-caustic | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: I know that hydrofluoric acid can be very dangerous. It was prohibited from use in industrial ... A: and thanks for your question. You're quite right; Hydrofluoric acid is extremely dangerous. ... | |
| Smoke & Alarms | 1/2/2008 |
| Q: I would like to know why cigarette smoke activates fire alarms but marijuana smoke does not. What ... A: Both types of smoke can activate a smoke detector - it's just that in some cases, a detector ... | |
| no-suds non-slippery dishwash fluid | 12/29/2007 |
| Q: How do you produce a no-suds and non-slippery dishwashing fluid? I need a no-suds or at least ... A: The bubbles in washing-up liquid don't actually take part in the cleaning - manufacturers add ... | |
| Chemical Reactions | 12/18/2007 |
| Q: I'm sure a lot of people have heard of the idea that mixing ammonia and bleach produces deadly ... A: and thank you very much for your question; apologies for the delay in answering. It's never a good ... | |
| Pet urine & sauteed onions | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: My son has a roommate who owns two chihuahuas, neither of which is house-trained. He called me today ... A: I think it's probable that the "tear gas" was simply from the onion. Onions contain sulfur-based ... | |
| water in oil | 12/14/2007 |
| Q: When we have water and oil we actually have three phases: water,oil and a solution of water and oil. ... A: The "third phase" you mention isn't a solution (if it was, you'd have to distill the mixture to ... | |
| Hydrogen buring | 12/5/2007 |
| Q: If i were to use combustion in a sealed environment by inserting a hydrogen/oxygen mixture would ... A: You're quite right that, in a "pure" eviornment, Hydrogen and Oxygen will only produce steam, and in ... | |
| Hydrogen buring | 12/5/2007 |
| Q: If i were to use combustion in a sealed environment by inserting a hydrogen/oxygen mixture would ... A: and thank you for your question. The answer, generally, is yes: the physical force produced by the ... | |
| Oxygen | 11/22/2007 |
| Q: When something is burnt what happens to the oxygen that is fueling the combustion process? Some is ... A: and thanks for your question. Yes, you've got the right idea with the "forming CO2" thing. "Fire" ... | |
| Dextrose and Saline | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: I work in a hospital and we use various intravenous fluids. I don't know why Normal saline(0.9% ... A: and thank you for your uestion. You're correct in saying that both saline and dextrose soltions are ... | |
| acid | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: what is caustic acid? A: I've never come accross the term "caustic acid" : "caustic" usually refers to an alkaline material ... | |
| decomposition of cynide | 11/16/2007 |
| Q: how can we degrade cynide using sodium hypochlorite? ple give reaction A: and thanks for your question. If you're trying this for real, make sure you're supervised by an ... | |
| compounds of mercury | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: I am a fellow "expert". I answer questions in the physics category. I need help with a personal ... A: Re: the build-up of concentration: the build - up occurs through the whole food chain. A single fish ... | |
| compounds of mercury | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: I am a fellow "expert". I answer questions in the physics category. I need help with a personal ... A: and thanks for your question. I hope the following is useful, even though it's not complete. 1) In ... | |
| If water has a chemical in it will it change its freezing point | 11/13/2007 |
| Q: does salt or sugar water freeze at a different time than regular water? A: and thanks for your question. Pure water at atmospheric pressure always freezes at O degree ... | |
| freezing point | 11/5/2007 |
| Q: We have a 500 gallon septic tank buried and filled with water. How many pounds of a salt is ... A: I don't have the facility to test down to -26 degrees centigrade, but I'm carrying out a few very ... | |
| freezing point | 11/4/2007 |
| Q: We have a 500 gallon septic tank buried and filled with water. How many pounds of a salt is ... A: and thanks for your question. Just a check that you wanted the answer for minus 15 degrees ... | |
| Prices for chemicals | 10/25/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if you would be able to give me an up to date price, or know where i would be able ... A: The answer depends on a range of things, including the purity of the methanol you buy and of the DME ... | |
| Different | 10/25/2007 |
| Q: what different between element and atom give me with example and table of diferences A: Element and Atom refer to different things: are you sure that it's these two that you're meant to be ... | |
| silver polish | 10/24/2007 |
| Q: what is the use of sodium bicarbonate in this experiment (silver polish) A: and thanks for our question. I'm not quite sure which experiment you mean, but I hope the following ... | |
| empirical formula | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: I recently did a lab in my chem 101 class, on tin iodide. There was a part which required me to find ... A: and thanks for your question. I'll outline the basics of Empirical formulae below, but to apply it ... | |
| Drinking Water | 10/11/2007 |
| Q: Are there any dangerous chemicals in basic house tap water? If so what are they? ANSWER: Thanks ... A: Uranium and Lead are examples of "heavy metals" that I mentioned earlier in my first answer - ... | |
| Drinking Water | 10/9/2007 |
| Q: Are there any dangerous chemicals in basic house tap water? If so what are they? A: The answer depends on two things: 1) What's "dangerous"? Water itself is fairly hazardous ... | |
| Science - Metals Present In A Compound. | 10/8/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if you knew of another test similar to the flame test that will identify which metal ... A: and thanks for your question. To be honest, a flame test is probably the best generalised approach ... | |
| Stain Removal | 10/5/2007 |
| Q: I'm doing science fair and i need to know how to record a percent of stain removed after wash. ... A: and thanks for the question. Right off, it's goinig to be difficult to calculate an actual ... | |
| Alcohol | 10/4/2007 |
| Q: What is the main difference between iso-propyl alcohol and the alcohol in beer? A: and thanks for your question. Chemically, isopropyl alcohol and the alcohol in beer (ethanol) are ... | |
| Sterling salt shaker sealed by salt. | 10/1/2007 |
| Q: I have a two part sterling salt shaker that is sealed by the chemical reaction of damp salt. Need ... A: In solving this problem, it's important to appreciate that a seal caused by damp salt is merely a ... | |
| periodic table of elements. | 9/25/2007 |
| Q: Why is there a big space on the top of the periodic table? A: and thanks for your question. Actually, there shouldn't be a "gap": it's just for convenience sake ... | |
| Format of the Periodic table | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: Can the letters in the periodic table of elemnts be vertical? ANSWER: Hi, and thanks for your ... A: and thanks for the follow-up. Element abbreviations are never written vertically for two reasons. ... | |
| Format of the Periodic table | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: Can the letters in the periodic table of elemnts be vertical? A: and thanks for your question. I'm not quite sure what you mean, so I've put some relevant ... | |
| chemistry | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: I have these questions that I am really stuck on..some help would be greatly appreciated.. 1) How ... A: and thanks for your questions. 1) The reaction is: CaCO3 -> CaO + CO2 The equation is balanced, ... | |
| Fat | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: I want to take fat which I have rendered from fatty meat & turn it into fuel tablets. a fuel tablet ... A: and thanks for your question. The usual way of doing this is to melt some fat in a pan, and pour ... | |
| Soot | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: I apologize if this is in the wrong category, but I need to know...how is soot formed? A: and thank you for your question. Most solid combustibles are carbon-based (e.g. paper, coal, wood ... | |
| Propellants | 9/20/2007 |
| Q: What are the benefits of mixing "Dimethyl ether" and "Liquefied petroleum gas" in aerosol cans? I ... A: and thanks for your question. Normal standard aerosols use LPG -usually butane- as a propellant ... | |
| chemistry. | 9/18/2007 |
| Q: i was wondering 1.if coco cola,milk and gasoline are mixtures. 2. if so what kind of elements are ... A: and thank you for your question. Mixture is the name we give to any substance where two or more ... | |
| Dissolving Copper Chloride | 9/16/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to make colored fire for Halloween. Last year I just soaked logs in aqueous copper ... A: and I'm really sorry for the delay in answering. In the past, I've used either pure ethanol or ... | |
| amount of gas | 9/15/2007 |
| Q: to measure the amount of gas produced by a chemical reaction what is the most exact method to use a. ... A: and thank you for your question. The answer is, it depends on the nature of the gas and the work ... | |
| Hydrochloric Acid Stains on Kitchen Sink | 9/8/2007 |
| Q: I had a plumber work on my kitchen sink faucet/spigot (small leak). He used Hydrochloric Acid to ... A: If the damage has been caused by acid, this means that the material has been attacked and eaten away ... | |
| Vinegar | 9/7/2007 |
| Q: I'm trying to do a titration on vinegar but I'm a little bit stuck. as to which acid is in my ... A: All vinegar, no matter what the name is, is a dilute solution of acetic acid (modern name = ethanoic ... | |
| H2O2 | 9/4/2007 |
| Q: i need to know the difference between hydrogen peroxide solution 10 vol. and hydrogen peroxide ... A: and thank you for your question. Easy answer: they're the same! Vol and % are just different ways ... | |
| Carbon Fiber Strands | 9/4/2007 |
| Q: I have recently discovered that carbon fiber sheets are not exceedingly difficult to work with. I ... A: and I'm really glad to meet another Mr Wizard fan! I'm sure that it's possible to make some form of ... | |
| 99.9% Sodium Hydroxide | 9/1/2007 |
| Q: I'm attempting to make a standard solution of NaOH. I am aware that I need to use anhydrous Sodium ... A: Firstly, purity indicators don't usually include solvents, so you can have a solution of "99% pure" ... | |
| pmma | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: what are the properties of polymethylmethacrylate? thankyou ANSWER: Thank you for your question. ... A: Perspex uses fall in to two categories: 1) Where you're using its translucency e.g. Making covers ... | |
| pmma | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: what are the properties of polymethylmethacrylate? thankyou A: PMMA, (now polymethyl-2-methylpropenoate) is the chemical name for Perspex: it's a transparent, ... | |
| flame colors | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: why do different chemicals like calcium chloride, sodium chloride etc emit different colors of ... A: and thanks for the follow up. Spectroscopy is the main use of this weird property of metal ... | |
| flame colors | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: why do different chemicals like calcium chloride, sodium chloride etc emit different colors of ... A: and thanks for your question. The first thing is that this is not a proper chemical reaction: all ... | |
| pH | 8/18/2007 |
| Q: If you are given a colored substance as a sample, how would you measure the pH of that sample? ... A: and thanks for your question. Summary: it's uncertain because the indicator is at the turning point ... | |
| pH | 8/18/2007 |
| Q: If you are given a colored substance as a sample, how would you measure the pH of that sample? A: and thank you for your question. Some coloured substances, like copper sulfate solution, don't dye ... | |
| Mayonnaise | 8/16/2007 |
| Q: I recently saw cholesterol-free mayonnaise. How do you make mayonnaise cholesterol-free? I know egg ... A: and thanks for your question. The key difference between regular and low-cholesterol mayo is (as ... | |
| chem | 8/13/2007 |
| Q: what are the disaccharides of physiologic importance and why is the rate of an enzymatic reaction ... A: and thank you for your question. Disaccarides (two sugar units joined together) are very common in ... | |
| electrolysis | 8/10/2007 |
| Q: I bought a SMC Cleaning plate that should clean your sterling silver with a low intensity ... A: and thank you for your question. I don't have enough evidence to say this method "doesn't work", ... | |
| Hydrochloric Acid | 8/9/2007 |
| Q: I was reading through a catalogue of chemicals and came to Hydrochloric Acid. Some of the acids had ... A: and thank you for your question. It sounds like the initials you quote are details of purity or ... | |
| Canada Balsam | 8/5/2007 |
| Q: Maxwell I have a question about Canada Balsam.As you know, it has always been used as a cytological ... A: (this is a second copy). Although we currently use a different brand of cement, I have used Canada ... | |
| Fire Colors | 8/4/2007 |
| Q: This hopefully will be a general enough question that it will not require that you specialize in it. ... A: Re: copper - the colour of the copper flame depends on the flame temperature, so the flame is a mix ... | |
| Fire Colors | 8/4/2007 |
| Q: This hopefully will be a general enough question that it will not require that you specialize in it. ... A: You've asked the right person! Part of my work involves creating fire effects for TV, including ... | |
| Batteries | 8/4/2007 |
| Q: This hopefully will be a general enough question that it will not require that you specialize in it. ... A: Batteries run down because, as the reactive metal loses electrons, it's losing bits of itself. The ... | |
| Batteries | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: This hopefully will be a general enough question that it will not require that you specialize in it. ... A: and thank you for your question. A battery is made up of two basic ingredients: 1) Two metal ... | |
| Does the human body need glycerol? | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: Do we need glycerol? For what? Can our bodies produce it or do we need to take it from foods? What ... A: Taking extra glycerol / amino acids won't normally have any effect at all, because the digestive ... | |
| Best option to lower the freezing point of water | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: I need to determine the most optimal method of lowering the freezing point of water for a consumer ... A: Any soluble salt will lower the freezing point, but (having done a quick experiment in my freezer!) ... | |
| Does the human body need glycerol? | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: Do we need glycerol? For what? Can our bodies produce it or do we need to take it from foods? What ... A: and thank you for your question. Glycerol does play a key role in human biochemistry, but because ... | |
| muriatic acid | 7/27/2007 |
| Q: My friend got muriatic acid on his finger and his nail feels like it is coming off. The finger is ... A: Sounds nasty. Basic answer = get medical attention. If there's still a chance that there's some ... | |
| question | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: i just got some potassium chlorate and aluminum powder(625 mesh)and i was trying to make flashpowder ... A: You really don't want to be putting flash-powder in a tube: if confined, then as little as 10 ... | |
| question | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: i just got some potassium chlorate and aluminum powder(625 mesh)and i was trying to make flashpowder ... A: Too much aluminium = very boring! If you use much more than about 30% aluminium, there isn't enough ... | |
| question | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: i just got some potassium chlorate and aluminum powder(625 mesh)and i was trying to make flashpowder ... A: It's not too difficult to grind up chlorate, provided you don't use anything metal (nice premature ... | |
| question | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: i just got some potassium chlorate and aluminum powder(625 mesh)and i was trying to make flashpowder ... A: I'll answer in reverse, becuase it'll make more sense: firstly, aluminium powder is very flammable, ... | |
| Water to Solid | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: Sir, Can we convert water into some solid crystal which cannot be converted back to water. Please ... A: In short, I don't think it's ever really possible to 'convert' water in to a form which cannot be ... | |
| Iodine | 7/19/2007 |
| Q: When iodine is heated, a solid crystal-like substance is formed around it. This is because the vapur ... A: The easiest way to understand this process is to make a cup of coffee! If you boil a kettleful of ... | |
| Pepsi and fun explosions | 7/17/2007 |
| Q: Today a friend told me that somewhere in Texas (I think) a large crowd gathered together with Pepsi ... A: and thanks for your question. This is a great demo / experiment, and works with most fizzy drinks. ... | |
| Chemistry Molecules | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: How many H20 Molecules are in 1 gallon of Evian? A: and thank you for your question. Quick answer: 1 American gallon (3.785 litres) contains about ... | |
| Chemistry: Solubility Characteristics | 7/13/2007 |
| Q: Experience teaches us that most solids are more soluble in warm water than in cold water. Does the ... A: and thank you for your question. As far as I know, the "solubility of solids rule" (e.g. more ... | |
| question | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: what is aluminum powder and where can you buy it? A: and thanks for your question. Aluminum powder is simply aluminum metal that's been grinded down in ... | |
| Iodine | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: Does the addition of heat to a substance automatically change its mass? And also, after iodine is ... A: and thank you for your question. Heating up a substance is a physical process, and so it doesn't ... | |
| Boiling | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: If I boil a litre of water completely, how much room would it take up? A: At atmospheric pressure, the expansion ratio between Liquid water and Steam is about 1:1700, so 1 ... | |
George Maxwell
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am happy to answer any educational, general and industrial chemistry questions, although I specialise in organic chemistry.
Experience
I am a qualified chemist, and work as a consultant in the chemical industry. I also teach chemistry in a number of sixth-form colleges, and work for the fire brigade, advising on dealing with chemical incidents.
Organizations
GSMChem Consultancy.
Publications
Journal of Chemical Education
National Higher Education Academy
Plus independent book publications.
Education/Credentials
BSc Chemistry (York, UK)
PhD Chemistry (NYU)
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