| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Kidney Stones | 9/29/2009 |
Q: -What is the chemical composition of kidney stones? -Can there be any chemical used for breaking ...
A: Kidney stones come in several types. http://www.chemistrydaily.com/chemistry/Kidney_Stone There ...
|
| chemistry | 9/19/2009 |
Q: suppose i wanted to collect and find the mass of gas produced in a chemical reaction. how could i ...
A: Here is the best method. With the volume of water displaced, use PV=nRT to get moles and then ...
|
| Molarity | 9/7/2009 |
Q: How do i determine molarity using ppm?
A: There are two methods: 1. At low concentration water solutions (<1000 ppm), ppm is equal to mg/L. ...
|
| analytical techniques | 8/24/2009 |
Q: is there any reason you can think of as to why HPLC-MS might be more appropriate for testing a ...
A: If you have a preparation that is contaminated with metals, you may want to know which component is ...
|
| Bond lengths | 8/15/2009 |
Q: Henry, This is not a homework question. I already know the answer to it but don't understand the ...
A: One way to think about it is this. Look at each one not as a C-Cl bond but as a RC-Cl bond, where R ...
|
| solution percent problem | 7/12/2009 |
Q: Dr. Boyer, I have tried multiple times to figure out this problem, but I still cannot come up with ...
A: Let x be the volume of 18% needed The amount of sulfuric acid in each is x(18) and 360(10) ...
|
| Calcium chloride from water softener | 7/12/2009 |
Q: I understand that calcium chloride is discharged from a ion exchange water softener. Instead of ...
A: It is possible, but the problem is getting it down to a useable level. If my calculation is ...
|
| Bleach and urine reaction | 7/10/2009 |
Q: Is it advisable to use a small amount of bleach in the toilet bowl to save on water usage? Say 1/2 ...
A: Bleach should never be mixed with urine or any other nitrogen species (this include ammonia or ...
|
| car battery mishap | 6/23/2009 |
Q: We accidently ran over a car battery with a "bush-hog"...no one was hurt...the battery and fluids ...
A: Is it contained or on the ground? If on the ground, with very heavy rubber gloves pick up the ...
|
| Biochemistry | 3/23/2009 |
Q: why a man come to the surface of the water after death
A: A body in the water starts to sink as soon as the air in its lungs is replaced with water. Once ...
|
| Isomers | 12/6/2008 |
Q: What is the reason that Isomers differ in chemical properties yet they have the same composition? Is ...
A: You can make isomers that are different in isotopes, but that is done intentionally and is very ...
|
| Reduction potentials | 11/29/2008 |
Q: Can you explain what reduction potentials are? Specifically, how do they relate whether a reaction ...
A: Let's take a look at some. They are representatives of how atoms and molecules lose or gain ...
|
| Does the expansion of solvent dilute the solute concentration (i.e. by gentle heating)? | 11/24/2008 |
Q: I work in a lab and am wondering if you could help me. I am making a 1 mg/mL standard that is not ...
A: A couple of things you have left out. Is the solute volatile? If so you can not heat the solvent ...
|
| hydrocarbon | 11/23/2008 |
Q: i was studyiung hydro-carbon chapter and when i reached nomenclature part ,,,i reached naming ethene ...
A: The structure you drew is just 2-butene. Just like butane, the hydrogens are understood and not ...
|
| Moth balls and dog urine | 10/17/2008 |
Q: I have a opossum living under my deck. I normally put moth balls out to rid them from under there. I ...
A: My only concern would be urine on the deck will remove the sealant on the deck and cause places ...
|
| Titration Equation | 9/20/2008 |
Q: I have always thought the titration equation is M1V1=M2V2, however, a question I recently answered ...
A: First M1V1 = M2V2 is really the dilution equation for making solutions. It can also be used for ...
|
| Hydrogen | 9/6/2008 |
Q: When you boil water you lose Oxygen. Is pure Hydrogen left? Can this water without oxygen be used ...
A: When you boil water the oxygen you lose is the oxygen that is dissolved in the water. The water ...
|
| Titration | 8/19/2008 |
Q: I am studying for the MCAT and I am in fact doing a practice problem but I am not asking you to ...
A: Either you copied it funny or it is written funny. The problem is adding 1M HCl to 10 mL of 1 M ...
|
| We are working in small research and need some help | 8/1/2008 |
Q: Henry Boyter: We are a chemistry teachers group from Syria And we are looking forward for your help ...
A: 1. ICP or ICP-MS. Less desirable would be AA. 2. Would need more info. 3. See the references for ...
|
| Structure of Fe2O3 | 7/24/2008 |
Q: I am teaching my 6-year-old some basics on the periodic table and how atoms make up molecules which ...
A: It is a little complicated. Fe2O3 is a solid and so it exists in a crystal and the formula is the ...
|
| Initial Existence of Elements | 7/1/2008 |
Q: Boyter, I took High School Chemistry this year and I've been kicking around a nagging question for ...
A: If you call the big bang the beginning, there were very few elements then. ...
|
| Alcohols | 7/1/2008 |
Q: Sir ! My questions are Islam based: 1. Alcohol used for drinking is necessarily ethyl alcohol or may ...
A: All alcohol used for drinking is ethyl alcohol. All others are poisons when consumed. The denat ...
|
| baking soda + detergent or soap | 6/13/2008 |
Q: Boyter, Just a quick and probably easy question for you: is there anything in soap or commercial ...
A: This is one of those, "it depends" answers. If you look at Arm & Hammer's website they recommend ...
|
| Electricity and DNA | 3/5/2008 |
Q: Since UV is a form of electromagnetism and can damage DNA is this the same with electricity and ...
A: They are very different energies. UV is fairly high energy, while radio waves are very low energy. ...
|
| Gas and heat question | 3/3/2008 |
Q: Boyter, I was tutoring a high schooler in chemistry today; he's covering gas laws and I was ...
A: In the hottest part of summer in the tropics, it can feel hotter. The wind temperature has to be ...
|
| bleach and calcium chloride | 1/30/2008 |
Q: We have a dental office and people are slipping on our floor. Our theory is that calcium chloride we ...
A: Although the bleach may make things worse, the slippery nature of the calcium chloride is well ...
|
| Seperating NaCl | 1/25/2008 |
Q: Hey, I am a high school science student and i was wondering how it would be possible to make ...
A: Sodium is made by taking a mixture of NaCl (40%) and calcium chloride, CaCl2 (60%) and melting at ...
|
| chemisrty | 10/9/2007 |
Q: Why is it on a hot day, Im talkin steamy humid, does salt in the salt shaker clump up. Thank you!
A: Salt in its pure form will form a solid block or large clumps naturally. The reason the salt in the ...
|
| Sulphuric acid | 8/2/2007 |
Q: I'm also an expert here (general cancer-oncology, brain tumors, breast cancer, colon cancer, history ...
A: Your problem is going to be the high heat needed. Some sources say 1000C. You can never do that ...
|
| nitric versus nitrous | 7/11/2007 |
Q: Are these complete synonyms, or is there a difference in meaning, please? Best wishes, Simon
A: The naming of the acids goes: HNO3 - nitric acid HNO2 - nitrous acid The naming of the anions ...
|
| bioremediation of copper from distillery waste water | 5/21/2007 |
Q: I am currently doing a research on Bioremediation of copper from distillery waste water. I have a ...
A: If the copper is bound at all, the copper complexes may not form since the bound form will be more ...
|
| bioremediation of copper from distillery waste water | 5/19/2007 |
Q: I am currently doing a research on Bioremediation of copper from distillery waste water. I have a ...
A: In normal water systems, copper will be present as Cu(II) with very little Cu(I) present unless you ...
|
| water treatment | 5/16/2007 |
Q: i am trying to make a water filter for my school project. I have searched google to find how can i ...
A: If tap water, nothing in the kitchen will work. The levels will be so low that special chemcials ...
|
| isopropyl alcohol | 4/29/2007 |
Q: This is not a homework question. This ia a practical question. I wish to ask a question about ...
A: Even if tightly sealed with the original cap, the bottle will not be totally sealed and the contents ...
|
| Iron - Chelate Preparation / Synthesis | 4/1/2007 |
Q: I use an iron chelate (Either FE-EDTA or FE-HEDTA on some trees that have iron chlorosis around my ...
A: It is actually easy to make for a chemist. But there is a problem. The ingredients would cost you ...
|
| symbols for molarity and nomality | 3/12/2007 |
Q: Boyter, I would like to ask (i) whether the sybmols for molarity and nomality, i.e. M and N, ...
A: 1 - Depends on the editor of the writing, but usually not in italics. 2 - Normally no space, but ...
|
| follow on to :would atmosphere invite? | 3/5/2007 |
Q: A few days back i asked "I heard this in a movie ("The Fantastic Four") and got curious. With a ...
A: Let me try this a different way because you are comparing apples to baseballs. 1. Your ...
|
| Molecule of Caesar' breath | 2/25/2007 |
Q: For decades I've heard that every time you breath in, you breath in a molecule exhaled by Caesar as ...
A: It does take a bit of faith and science. The O2 Caesar breathed would be expelled as CO2, converted ...
|
| Predicting nature of electrolytes | 1/10/2007 |
Q: When i said "nature of the salt" i was referring to the degree of dissociation of the salt.NOT its ...
A: The answer is in general, no you can not predict. If you have the salt of a strong base and strong ...
|
| Predicting nature of electrolytes | 1/9/2007 |
Q: Knowing what kind (i.e. strong or weak)of an acid and base a given salt is made of is it always ...
A: Strong acids with strong bases give almost neutral salts. Weak acids with weak bases give salts ...
|
| Fire and water | 1/3/2007 |
Q: Oxygen gives life to fire and hydrogen is highly flamable. But when the atoms of these two elements ...
A: Start with this. The result of burning hydrogen is WATER !! Water is the result of burning ...
|
| Chemical analysis | 12/30/2006 |
Q: I have read that the chemical analysis can be used to calibrate the instruments like thermometers. ...
A: Here is a good reference on how thermometers are calibrated. ...
|
| Derivation Equilibrium constant? | 12/14/2006 |
Q: The usual derivation of the equilibrium constant expression for a general reaction goes like this, ...
A: You are correct and thankfully for teaching first year chemistry, things just work out. There are ...
|
| Electrons | 12/13/2006 |
Q: What happens to the charge on an atom when it loses an electrons?Why?
A: An atom is composed of electrons (negatively charged), protons (positively charged), and neutrons ...
|
| pipet spelling | 12/11/2006 |
Q: 1) What do you think is correct for the past tense of act of using a pipet? a) I pipetted the ...
A: This link should answer your question. ...
|
| consumer bottled water | 12/9/2006 |
Q: I live in Toronto.I got into my car this morning and I had two half full bottles of water, one ...
A: "Spring water" has minerals at low levels such as sodium chloride (salt), sodium carbonate, and ...
|
| hydrates | 11/14/2006 |
Q: why aren't you able to heat all hydrates?
A: I am guessing that you meant to add "to produce anyhydrous salts." at the end of your question. If ...
|
| H2O + and H2O - | 11/1/2006 |
Q: I think H2O is noncharged compound. But I saw as H2O + (positive charge) and H2O - (negative charge) ...
A: I would need to see the context they were used. They would not be stable species. What you will ...
|
| distilled water | 10/31/2006 |
Q: Is using distilled water over tap water safe for plants?
A: It shouldn't make a difference if you fertilize your plants. There will be some trace minerals in ...
|
| Solutions | 10/27/2006 |
Q: This is not for homework, just something I always wondered: in chemical solutions, what is the ...
A: A solution can be made of any liquid with something added to it. The liquid is called the solvent ...
|
| Daughter's school science project | 10/18/2006 |
Q: My daughter's (9th grade)project involves finding out the lenght of time that it takes for a ...
A: She will need a lab. By the time the bacteria are visible, they will have been on the toothbrush ...
|
| Chromium in wetlands | 10/16/2006 |
Q: I work as an environmental engineer. My question is this: I have been trying to conduct a ...
A: 1 cubic decimeter = 1 L Chromium water samples are normally collected in HDPE (high density ...
|
| racial determination | 10/11/2006 |
Q: What experts should I ask about a question like this? Can a white male determine if he has any ...
A: These websites will give you some information on what is done and what the results can tell you and ...
|
| BREAD & MOLD | 10/5/2006 |
Q: So how does mold start the growth? Is it just a bunch of cells developing into a strong colony? and ...
A: Mold spores are present in the air. They land on the bread and start a colony. They can grow from ...
|
| nat gas | 9/22/2006 |
Q: I don't have a question to really be found in a text book or anything but...natural gas...using a ...
A: For a fixed amopunt, it will just disperse through the air until it would be totally mixed and ...
|
| TC/TD | 9/17/2006 |
Q: I searched Google/Wikipedia and couldn't find the answer. I'm a Freshman in college, class is Chem ...
A: Another way to think about it. TC = To Contain = To Store TD = To Deliver = To Transfer A 50 mL ...
|
| Beer's law | 9/13/2006 |
Q: What are some available methods that could be used to deproteinise serum samples prior to analysis? ...
A: Beers law is A=abc, but if you write it out completely it is A (at wavelength lamda) = a (at ...
|
| Newspapers and windows | 8/30/2006 |
Q: I am a high-school senior from Lexington, KY. Why are newspapers so effective in cleaning ...
A: I believe that much of this is an Old Wifes Tale. This started before paper towels, but also one ...
|
| ammonia | 8/18/2006 |
Q: sir, ammonia forms complex cations like Cu(NH3)4SO4 or cupriammine sulphate the tendency of NH3 to ...
A: Ammonia is NH3. N has five valence electrons, so if three interact with the three electrons of the ...
|
| occlusion | 8/18/2006 |
Q: dr henry, i tried to search on google nut didnt find anything about occlusion. large volumes of ...
A: This is a pretty good summary. It is technical, as is the subject. Read this and get back to me ...
|
| Polonium being disposed of in WWTP | 7/6/2006 |
Q: I am an attorney, and my county is about to dump polonium contaminated water into the effluent ...
A: You need to contact your local state EPA and ask about regulations specific to your state. To anwer ...
|
| salt | 6/25/2006 |
Q: My goal is to separate the trace minerals from the salt to study and analyze them. The sea salt I am ...
A: You will just have to check the ingredients. Looking at your list calcium, potassium, sulphur, ...
|
| salt | 6/24/2006 |
Q: Electrolysis would seem to be preferred method given my limited resources. Can you offer any advice ...
A: By my quick calculation, 100 lbs will produce at 100% efficiency maybe 10-75 micrograms of trace ...
|
| salt | 6/23/2006 |
Q: how do you separate trace elements from salt with the goal of preserving the trace elements?
A: You could do it with ion exchange or selective electrolysis. In ion exchange, the trace elements ...
|
| Sublimation | 6/18/2006 |
Q: I was hoping you could help me with a question - I was wondering if nitrous oxide sublimes, and if ...
A: Undr normal pressures and volumes, there is no sublimation. The mp and bp are close, but different ...
|
| Hydrogen chloride and phosphoric acid | 6/16/2006 |
Q: What do you get if you mix hydrogen chloride with phosphoric acid. Is it dangerous, and if so why. ...
A: You don't mention the concentration of the phosphoric acid or the form fo the hydrogen chloride so I ...
|
| Analytical Chemistry: Chemical name | 6/5/2006 |
Q: I was wondering what the titanium solution would be called after going through the following ...
A: The best information I can find is that it is a Ti(IV) oxysulfate complex. None of the references ...
|
| general chemistry | 6/5/2006 |
Q: how can sulfur have 4 double bonds even though it only 6 valence electrons, ex. H2SO4?
A: H2SO4 has no double bonds. It has two types of S-O bonds. These are S-O where the sulfur ...
|
| Sulfar | 5/30/2006 |
Q: I just went swimming in a sulfar pool, and my silver necklace turned black. I was wondering if ...
A: No. You can have it cleaned or clean it yourself, but that surface layer will be lost. If you can ...
|
| Is water a free radical | 5/27/2006 |
Q: I have searched google before asking you. I hope you can help me. To my knowledge, a free radical is ...
A: You can't have "pairs of unpaired electrons". That is a sort of double negative. Water has two ...
|
| antibacterial gels harmful to you? | 5/9/2006 |
Q: I hope I'm finding you in the best of health. I saw places like Crabtree&Evelyn sell antibacterial ...
A: I would need to see the actual ingredient list and instructions to answer you properly. Many of ...
|
| nylon shrunk - how to stretch? | 5/3/2006 |
Q: I recently washed a mouldy tent covering, made of thick nylon. I put it in a dryer at low heat ...
A: It would need to be stretched while warm and/or warm and moist. How you will do it to a tent, I ...
|
| Carbon | 4/30/2006 |
Q: Wood charcoal,Lamp black etc are the amorphous forms of Carbon but plz make me clear that what is an ...
A: The atoms in the solid are not arranged in either a definite pattern or in a pattern that is not the ...
|
| Acid Concentration vs Specific Gravity | 4/28/2006 |
Q: I work with an phosphoric acid anodize line and I'm trying to find the % concentration of H3PO4 @ ...
A: The only accurate way with virgin solutions would be to make standards of known percentage. You do ...
|
| chem | 3/23/2006 |
Q: what is a example of homogeneous mixture
A: Kool-aid in the pack is a solid homogeneous mixture. Kool-aid made up with water is a liquid ...
|
| rates of reactions | 3/20/2006 |
Q: If I wanted to measure a standard solution of say, 17 mL, would I use a volumetric flask, a beaker, ...
A: beaker - never for exact volumes regular pipette and volumetric flask - only to hold the exact ...
|
| Gravimetric Factor | 3/16/2006 |
Q: I am having trouble understanding how to calculate Gravitmetric Factors. For example: An impure ...
A: GF is equal to the MolWt of species 1 divided by MolWt of species 2 (or atomic weights) so one GF ...
|
| can you smoke pills? | 3/13/2006 |
Q: i was just wondering if smoking legal pills, would have any danguours effect on you, ofcourse it ...
A: Like burning any other organic compound, it would produce carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, tar, ...
|
| Bunsen burner/alcohol lamp fuel | 3/1/2006 |
Q: What is the proper fuel for use in a Bunsen burner/alcohol lamp, and where can one obtain it? I've ...
A: The mixture should work in an alcohol lamp. First try it in an open space with only enough in it to ...
|
| Bunsen burner/alcohol lamp fuel | 2/28/2006 |
Q: What is the proper fuel for use in a Bunsen burner/alcohol lamp, and where can one obtain it? I've ...
A: You have mentioned two different types of burners. A bunsen burner is run on propane or natural gas ...
|
| Thermodynamic energy | 2/27/2006 |
Q: Followup To Question - Hello. I am hoping you can please help me out with this question, since ...
A: You still are missing the point. Thermal energy is always a comparative. Ice is only negative when ...
|
| Litmus? | 2/26/2006 |
Q: I was wondering if there was such a thing as reusable litmus paper. More specifically reusable ...
A: You have several things to consider. First, pH paper works by a reaction of the paper with acid ...
|
| Thermodynamic energy | 2/21/2006 |
Q: I am hoping you can please help me out with this question, since there are no experts on ...
A: Cold energy has no meaning. Ice would have negative thermal energy compared to anything greater ...
|
| AgNo3 tested in water samples. | 2/2/2006 |
Q: I have a little problem dealing with the science fair >< I know it says to not post things about ...
A: Silver nitrate is a dangerous chemcial and worse it is very expensive. The only place it might ...
|
| Chemistry | 1/25/2006 |
Q: My mother has a collection of napkin rings and most are made of silver or silverplate. She recently ...
A: You don't describe what you mean by a side. Is it inside/outside, facing a window/not facing a ...
|
| Soultions Stoichiometry | 1/19/2006 |
Q: I was wondering if at all possible you could show me how to figure out this problem. The question is ...
A: As per the instructions, please do not ask me any questions related to schoolwork (of any kind) ...
|
| chemical change | 1/12/2006 |
Q: Which colored candle would burn the fastest colered or clear?
A: I think you mean colorless (no color), not clear (can see through like glass), unless you are ...
|
| structure | 1/7/2006 |
Q: Hey do you know how 3-Ethylpentane looks like.
A: CH3-CH2-CH-CH2-CH3 | CH2 | ...
|
| Caffeine | 1/5/2006 |
Q: A co-worker told me that one can get all the caffeine out of a tea bag by dunking it in hot water. ...
A: First, no tea is truly decaffinated. Commercially, I believe that if there is less than 2.5% of the ...
|
| contaminated land | 12/17/2005 |
Q: i'm looking to purchase a building plot to build a new home, i've been advised by the seller that ...
A: One definition is any organic compound that can become airborne at room temperature. Gasoline, ...
|
| Weight | 12/17/2005 |
Q: what is the heaviest non-flamable, non-tixic liquid? Answer - THe are no liquids known that are ...
A: Pastes and solutions are not liquids. They can have liquid properties, but the term liquid usually ...
|
| SUCROSE | 12/14/2005 |
Q: Could you maybe explain the reaction for me? I am only a culinary student with minimal understnding ...
A: It is not a reaction, it is an interaction. A picture is found here (ignore the text). The reds ...
|
| Ammonia Removal | 12/2/2005 |
Q: Is there any methods that you are aware of for removal of high ammonia levels from industrial waste ...
A: You could probably oxidize it with oxidants such as ozone or peroxide, but economics are a problem. ...
|
| Greetings,
What is the difference... | 11/28/2005 |
Q: Greetings, What is the difference between aroxyl and phenoxyl radicals? Fahad
A: The can be the same thing or different depending on the context and who is talking. Aroxyl will be ...
|
| Follow-up on aniline dyes question (thanks!) | 11/27/2005 |
Q: My hobby or side job is art restoration; there is a problem in art conservation/restoration related ...
A: Having the whole picture helps. I would contact the two experts I mentioned. I think it will be a ...
|
| Solubility of methyl violet (aniline dyes) | 11/27/2005 |
Q: The methyl violets are aniline dyes which consist basically of three aniline molecules conjugated at ...
A: There are several questions that you need to answer first. I'm also going to refer you to Charles ...
|
| compound formula | 11/25/2005 |
Q: What is the correct chemical formula for the compound "sodium aluminum phosphate"? must settle ...
A: It is a very complicated compound and there are two forms.The name is very misleading and depends on ...
|
| Acid and Base | 11/23/2005 |
Q: THIS IS NOT A HOMEWORK QUESTION. I am just wondering what happens when Bromic acid is mixed with ...
A: What is the context of the question? Where did it come from? What are the ratios of acid and base? ...
|
| Dear Dr. Boyter
I have... | 10/30/2005 |
Q: Boyter I have a quick question. I'm in a begining level chem class, so I don't know much yet. ...
A: Aluminum is like B, it looses three in most cases. You will find the +/-3 rule is a general rule ...
|
| alternative dishwasher detergent | 10/23/2005 |
Q: You've probably encountered the back-end of this situation in your wastewater management. After ...
A: Your substitute will not work as well as the good commercial products, will be rougher on the ...
|
| carbonic acid and pH | 10/19/2005 |
Q: I am interested in measuring the productivity of the aquatic plant Elodea. The plant absorbs CO2 ...
A: It would be tough. You would have to assume that the buffering capacity of the water is always the ...
|
| haze on road/ | 9/28/2005 |
Q: Dr.Henry, I have a question that has always puzzled me and I can't find an answer. In movies, you ...
A: The word in convection of the air. After a rain there may be evaporation of the rain which will ...
|
| Thank you. Could you please... | 9/26/2005 |
Q: Could you please tell what R stands for? So alcohol ester and talc are common in paints? Wouldn't ...
A: The R is just another hydrocarbon/organic group. Look at the examples at the link I gave or do a ...
|
| haze on road/ "steam" from grates? | 9/26/2005 |
Q: Dr.Henry, I have a question that has always puzzled me and I can't find an answer. In movies, you ...
A: 1. In cities, the piping would run in pipe chases located under the sidewalks. Sometimes, lower ...
|
| Thank you. I guess I uderstand... | 9/26/2005 |
Q: I guess I uderstand what alcohol is but don't understand what alcohol ester is because I do not know ...
A: Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester If you replace R with a alcohol group (HOR-), you get what ...
|
| Could you tell me what alcohol... | 9/26/2005 |
Q: Could you tell me what alcohol ester is and what role it usually plays in a paint. I have zero VOC ...
A: Alcohol ester is a rarely used terminology for a type of solvent similar to alcohols. Non-VOC is a ...
|
| room temperature | 9/21/2005 |
Q: what is the most accurate way to take room temperature. My mom says to put the thermometer in a ...
A: You are both wrong, but mom (as usual) is more correct. Instead of water use a fluid like a light ...
|
| solutions | 9/18/2005 |
Q: Is the process of dissolving (esp. solid in liquid but also any other combination) best thought of ...
A: Well, it is a little complicated. Let's start with this. 1. In a physical change, a substance ...
|
| chemist | 9/13/2005 |
Q: *Do you enjoy your area of study? *How many years of school did it take for you to become a chemist? ...
A: 1. Yes 2. 10 beyond high school and continuous after that. You never stop learning. Note, I also ...
|
| separating water into component elements using a catalyst | 9/6/2005 |
Q: I am interested in the reaction in which water disassociates into it's component hydrogen and ...
A: Not my area either. Try looking up research at http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/. It is going to be ...
|
| Glass Residue | 9/2/2005 |
Q: Such as when you touch a window or a bottle of soda? The reason for the querry curiosity, I have no ...
A: Two situations involving glass with no other finish on it. 1. With regular glass, the residue will ...
|
| electric charge | 8/31/2005 |
Q: How does an element become charged? For example, a proton has a positive charge. But how does it get ...
A: What you are asking is verging on the edge of philosophy instead of science, because whichever ...
|
| Chemical Equation/Reaction | 8/19/2005 |
Q: In the treatment of drinking Acid Alum (aluminum sulfate) and Sodium Chlorite (25%) are used at ...
A: The presence of the acid and aluminum (probably as a catalyst) will create chlorine dioxide which is ...
|
| Odor Elimination | 8/5/2005 |
Q: if necessary) eliminate odors from the inside of old leather, fabric-lined suitcases? I live in a ...
A: Short of replacing the fabric lining, I doubt you are going to get all the odor out. Instead of ...
|
| Water Based Polyurethane | 8/2/2005 |
Q: Is water based better because there are no solvents an djust VOC in it. Someone was trying to sell ...
A: If it has VOCs more than trace amounts it has a solvent. On the other hand, all solvents are not ...
|
| Water Based Polyurethane and Sealer for Hard Wood Floors | 8/2/2005 |
Q: I wanted to use as safe of a product for my new unfinished hard wood as possible. I was told I need ...
A: Things do eventually evaporate. There is absolutely no chemcical that can be called completely ...
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| Chemistry | 7/17/2005 |
Q: How To prepare a 300ml of 205 (NH4)2SO4 solution?
A: The term "205 (NH4)2SO4 solution" has no meaning. Something is missing. Give the context or ...
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| carbon dating | 7/11/2005 |
Q: I read about rock dating. But one doubt is still a mystery to me i.e, if a building was constructed ...
A: Carbon dating is done on living things such as wood and usually are related to fireplaces, forges, ...
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| Parachemicals | 7/6/2005 |
Q: I tried doing a websearch to find this out for myself, but what is a parachemical, and how is it ...
A: Parachemistry is the same as alchemy, just a new name, you know the idea of turning lead into gold ...
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| natural ion exchange properties of cellulose | 7/3/2005 |
Q: Henry Boyter, In a peer-reviewed paper one can read :" In the process of converting flax to linen, ...
A: Not really. You could study the chemical equilibriums, but they are so dependent on ALL the metals, ...
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| natural ion exchange properties of cellulose | 7/3/2005 |
Q: Henry Boyter, In a peer-reviewed paper one can read :" In the process of converting flax to linen, ...
A: Several problems: 1. Iron and calcium concentrations are not constant in natural waters. They can ...
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| Intro to Chemistry | 7/1/2005 |
Q: Is CCL4, O3, and CO2 carcinogenic?
A: Yes, No, No depending on how and who is defining and who is compiling the list. The most cited set ...
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| I am not a student and this... | 6/29/2005 |
Q: I am not a student and this is not homework(I am 63y old) I asked this yesterday. How does the pH ...
A: In any posts, per the instructions, add why you are asking the question. Helps tell the ...
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| Chemistry/structure and bonding | 6/22/2005 |
Q: Why is Hydrochloric (HCl) acid classed as strong acid and Sodium hydroxide strong base?
A: In dilute and average water solutions they are near 100% dissociated into their ionic components ...
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| energy | 6/21/2005 |
Q: Would you be able to give me an example of how energy gets transferred during a chemical change? ...
A: base + acid = water + energy This is true for almost any acid and base cellulose/petroleum + O2 ...
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| energy | 6/19/2005 |
Q: Henry Boyter, Jr., I have one more question that I'm hoping you could help me with. Which transfer ...
A: Everything has thermal energy, even near absolute zero. If water had no thermal energy, it wouldn't ...
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| Conductivity Control of water | 6/18/2005 |
Q: I am working in a gas based power plant, where we require DM water for water injection into Gas ...
A: My guess is that your method strips CO2, so that under air storage the CO2 redissolves into the DM ...
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| bonding | 6/17/2005 |
Q: Henry Boyter, I hope I'm finding you in the best of health. I have a big test called a regent next ...
A: Covalent bonding is within molecules (intra), not between them (inter). Also, it is the combination ...
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| Talcum powder + cleaning formulas | 6/12/2005 |
Q: My husband uses talc to reduce chaffing on his legs from his work pants. I feel he uses too much( ...
A: For your personal health, only an allergist and MD can answer. Each person is different. If you were ...
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| Water bubbles/Air pockets | 6/2/2005 |
Q: Sir, I am jewleller engaged in refining of gold in my small coal kiln. After I do refine gold from ...
A: Boil it before you add the nitric. Stirring the nitric may put the air right back in so do it ...
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| Epsom Salt | 6/1/2005 |
Q: Boyter Jr., My family and I have long been curios about the making of Epsom Salt. We live in ...
A: They may be the same thing (solid versus water solution), but without specific chemical ingredients ...
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| Hydrogen as a fuel (from water) | 5/24/2005 |
Q: Not for school (have searched google), just trying to clarify my presumption that water is a fossil ...
A: 1. Hydrogen is not a fossil fuel since water is not made from dinosaur remains from millions of ...
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| Chemistry or Microbiology | 5/2/2005 |
Q: Is there a procedure reference for this? We are not attempting to make it, only find out the ...
A: The reference indicated the procedure was in a 1926 chemistry journal, JACS Vol48, p2216 (or ...
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| Max weight | 4/29/2005 |
Q: I wanted to know how much weight can a persons rib cage support. Lets say an average sized male was ...
A: You should probably ask a medical expert this instead of a chemist. My guess is that you need to be ...
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| Chemistry SOL Review | 4/24/2005 |
Q: What temperature scale must be used when calculating one of the gas laws? Why?
A: The key is "can anything be zero or negative?". In PV=nRT, if T=0, either P or V has to be zero, ...
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| Black smoke, white smoke | 4/23/2005 |
Q: Background forDespite my physics degree, I don't understand what causes this difference, yet TV ...
A: White is USUALLY a signal that water vapor is present. Darker smoke is USUALLY a signal that ...
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| sun and whitening | 4/19/2005 |
Q: i am curious about how the sun bleaches color. here is how it came up: my mom sent me a valentine ...
A: The photons in the light react with the dye to break apart the molecule to colorless compounds or ...
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| Air density | 4/16/2005 |
Q: I'm doing a science project where I need to find the density of air at 108 degrees F.
A: Air density is not a real constant since it depends on temperature and altitude. You have to ...
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| Chemical | 4/14/2005 |
Q: What is Ni-NTA, and why and who would someone recharge it? Oh, I already tried finding this info. ...
A: I need to know the context. Ni-NTA to me is a chelated nickel compound. A Na-NTA ion exchange ...
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| Mercury | 4/8/2005 |
Q: Boyter, A couple of weeks ago my mother shook down a mercury thermometer, and accidentally hit the ...
A: You need to talk you a local consultant who can actually come to the house (look under environmental ...
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| chemical reaction | 3/30/2005 |
Q: I need to know what dissipates into the air during a salt analysis titration. I do this at work ...
A: You don't mention what salt you are testing. Here is the general chemistry found by searching ...
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| surfactunt | 3/16/2005 |
Q: How i can remove surfactunt from the liver of cow?
A: There are three types of surfactants and several ways to remove them depending on what elese might ...
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| salt spray , moisture | 3/5/2005 |
Q: I have a home in the Carribean thats ocean front. Due to salt spray and moisture I have thrown away ...
A: Two problems: 1. The silica gel would last about a day. Silica gel is made to go in enclosed ...
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| Antioxidants and Cancer | 3/5/2005 |
Q: I have been working on a research project entitled "Prevention of Cancer Through Antioxidants." For ...
A: Vitamin C above certain levels is acutely toxic. ALL CHEMICALS CAN BE TOXIC ABOVE CERTAIN LEVELS. ...
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| boiling point | 2/28/2005 |
Q: ------------------------- Followup To i also will like to know if the liquid is not water will the ...
A: Depends on the liquid. If the bp is much lower than the temp of the glass at the direct flame, it ...
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| alcohol | 2/25/2005 |
Q: maybe this is completely irrelevant to your field, if so I apologize, but the other day I was ...
A: If you start with 40% and mix with an equal amount of juice, you will have 20% (1 shot in 2 total). ...
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| science of color | 2/23/2005 |
Q: I doing a study on plants dyes and mordants. I am trying to see which mordant: salt or viniger will ...
A: The correct term is colorfastness. What you suggest would give you a very qualitative way to do it, ...
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| plant growth affected by detergents | 2/15/2005 |
Q: Does the plant(when using detergents) grow more or just die right away? My teacher told us to ask ...
A: Depends on how much you add. Small amounts will have no effect, large enough levels will kill the ...
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| chemistry | 2/6/2005 |
Q: Boyter, I was doing research on acids. I have gone to several search engines and ...
A: Henning Brand, the "discoverer" of phosphorus probably would get credit, but phosphorus and ...
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| biology | 1/31/2005 |
Q: why is it when looking through a micrcroscope at the letter e it is upside down ?
A: It depends on the microscope. That is just the way yours sends and reflects the light to the ...
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| NAVAL JELLY/MURIATIC ACID | 1/30/2005 |
Q: Is there such a thing as gelled muriatic acid? Is naval jelly just a diluted form of muriatic ...
A: Naval jelly is phosphoric acid (the acid in soft drinks, but more concentrated) in most cases. Some ...
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| Filtration | 1/29/2005 |
Q: Can you tell me how one can find the vapour pressure of a chemical given its boiling point? (ie. ...
A: You can't. Vapor pressure like other properties is dependent on the substance. You can find the ...
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| Solubility | 1/22/2005 |
Q: Recently I was asked to tackle the following question, which I had a hard time comprehending. I ...
A: Not enough info unless you consider the ideal case. If you added 10g of each at 100C then the ...
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| Water-9 | 1/19/2005 |
Q: I caught the last 5min of Alias last night and heard mention of something called ice-5. It reminded ...
A: All science fiction is my guess. Sorry, I don't watch Alias. You do google searches with what you ...
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| carbon monoxide | 1/19/2005 |
Q: I didn't find this on google...could you settle a question amoung a couple of adults who play WAY ...
A: Look at the main consituents of air: 1. Nitrogen (N2) has a molecular weight of 28 (14x2) 2. ...
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| Chlorine dioxide | 1/13/2005 |
Q: I am studying chlorine dioxide for use in water purification in jungle situations and in African ...
A: Read this site and you will see at best, all pathogens are probably slightly different and that ...
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| mos2 to moly | 1/13/2005 |
Q: I have a list of assay for mos2 and I need to find out how much actual moly is in the assay. Can you ...
A: Here is a good website to keep handy. http://webmineral.com/chemical.shtml If you click on Mo, you ...
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| Chlorine dioxide | 1/12/2005 |
Q: I am studying chlorine dioxide for use in water purification in jungle situations and in African ...
A: I checked several web sites for confirmation. A google search on ["chlorine dioxide" chemistry] ...
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| Periodic table of elements | 1/5/2005 |
Q: im not sure if you are the person to talk to about the periodic table of elements, so if you're not ...
A: Go to http://www.itt.edu/staff/boyter/links/index.html and look at the links under "Chemistry - ...
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| Sulfates and sulfuric acid | 12/13/2004 |
Q: Good day, I would like to know if it is possible to revert an acid-base reaction by means of ...
A: In the case of an acid/base reaction, the electrolysis will act on the water first giving H2 and O2. ...
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| boiling and melting point formulas | 11/29/2004 |
Q: I'm trying to produce formulas which are able to give me a (more or less) correct estimation of the ...
A: First, I'm not an expert in this area. Here are some websites that may help. ...
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| Chlorine in water | 11/21/2004 |
Q: I want to know what happens to chlorine in water after 24 hours. I've been told that it ceases to ...
A: It all depends on how much chlorine was added to begin with. At certain levels, the chlorine will ...
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| Mineral deposits | 11/18/2004 |
Q: Having lived in old houses before I'm used to the white,brownish-red,and sometimes green stains ...
A: There is no answer without testing. Have the water tested for bacteria and common metals. If the ...
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| crystallization | 11/1/2004 |
Q: i would like to know about the method of crystallization by aceton. i mean the way to purify ...
A: Still very general. Dissolve a sample in a minimal amount of acetone. Either cool or slowly ...
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| chemical equation | 10/29/2004 |
Q: my question is as follows: when you have a insoluble substance (such as calcium hydroxide)and add ...
A: First, calcium hydroxide is not insoluble. Insoluble rarely means 100% will not dissolve. There is ...
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| Water from air? | 10/25/2004 |
Q: What can extract hydrogen and oxygen out of tha air? I am designing a new Humanitarian emergency ...
A: Gases are removed from the air by chilling with liquid nitrogen or liquid helium. These methods are ...
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| aqueous solution | 10/16/2004 |
Q: What is an aqueous solution? Please explain in layman's terms. Does an aqueous solution have a pH ...
A: Something dissolved in water where water is the major component. No very few aquaous solutions will ...
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| solutions | 10/13/2004 |
Q: Due to another sibling arguement, my brother and I have come across a question that I'm dying to ...
A: For water, the majority of the time the solution will cool, sometimes stay the same, rarely get ...
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| batteries | 10/10/2004 |
Q: I really don't know if this is the correct place I should be asking this...but I'll try anyways.... ...
A: Manufacture and expiration dates probably have little to do with each other. It will probably ...
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| question on acid | 10/10/2004 |
Q: Boyter, I got the folowing question when doing an experiment on acid. I understand the difference ...
A: A series of questions that can not be answered with the information given. It all depends on your ...
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| Can plastic and paper be combined? | 10/9/2004 |
Q: I have a question regarding recycling paper. Can I include cut plastic pieces into the pulp when I ...
A: Of all the processes I know, the plastic would just cause problems. They are not compatable ...
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| chemistry | 9/20/2004 |
Q: I don't understand what implied range is?Like I'll give you an example I have the answer to:A ...
A: Based on 0.025, the smallest division of the measurement is 0.001. The person asking the question ...
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| chemistry | 9/19/2004 |
Q: 1. How do you know up to what point is considered precise? Up to how much away can the numbers be? ...
A: All of what you are asking depends on what you are measuring, who decided what the correct answer ...
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| chemistry | 9/19/2004 |
Q: How can you figure out what is good precision and accuracy? I asked my teacher and he explained to ...
A: Think of arrows and a target with the bullseye being the correct answer (or the number 30). 1. If ...
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| If you have any knowledge... | 8/29/2004 |
Q: If you have any knowledge on this topic your help would be greatly appreciated. I cannot seem to ...
A: Yes, but three problems. 1. It probably will not mix well or not stay mixed. It may even react ...
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| Ice Cubes | 8/25/2004 |
Q: Just out of curiosity, why is it, that when ice cubes are places in a glass or bowl they stick ...
A: When edges are exposed they start to melt from the heat in the air and continue to melt because they ...
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| water pH | 8/23/2004 |
Q: (1) I am not sure about the normal pH for distilled water and deionized water. Should they be around ...
A: 1. Depends on age and how done. To get 7 for distilled you have to do it under inert gas to prevent ...
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| MgS | 8/4/2004 |
Q: How could I seperate Magnesium Sulfate (epsom salt) into just the Magnesium and Sulfur? I was ...
A: 245F will only get you hot epsom salts. Higher temperatures (say >850C) will probably give sulfur ...
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| Is honey really a solvent? | 7/27/2004 |
Q: I am a homeschooled 9th grader. I have been experimenting with making herbal infusions with honey ...
A: I don't really have any info on the subject. In chemical terms, honey would not really be a solvent ...
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| nylon fabrics and bleach damage | 7/22/2004 |
Q: Dr. Boyter- I accidently got bleach on my brown-colored nylon (and other synthetic material) pants, ...
A: You will need to completely bleach the color out of the pants and redye or dye them very black. Not ...
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| What is a sufactant | 7/8/2004 |
Q: I am interested in a new soap product and they talk about it being good for the body because is ...
A: Here is a definition of a surfactant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfactant The claims of the ...
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| Chemistry - | 7/6/2004 |
Q: Some recipes for carmelizing sugar indicate that a non-ferrous skillet should be used. Why is this? ...
A: This is just a guess. I suspect that any bits of iron will cause some of the sugar to go from a ...
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| sorbitol/potassium sorbate | 7/4/2004 |
Q: Sorbitol is a sweetener-type ingredient used in some foods. It has very bad laxative effects on my ...
A: First, they are two different chemical families and chemically different. Potasssium sorbate is ...
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| maximum solution | 6/27/2004 |
Q: We are attempting to make a syrup for ice treats. We want it as sweet as possible, but would like ...
A: No easy answer because it depends on what else you have added. Try this: make it as sweet as ...
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| which is more combustible | 6/26/2004 |
Q: which object is more combustible in a pure oxygen environment, pure hydrogen or gasoline?
A: First we have to look at some definitions. Gasoline and hydrogen VAPOR will be flammable. That is ...
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| Descending Paper Chromatography | 6/21/2004 |
Q: My chemistry book says; "At the start of descending paper chromatography why must the spot of the ...
A: Last try. The water is added to the top of a vertical piece of paper (several ways of doing this). ...
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| Descending Paper Chromatography | 6/21/2004 |
Q: In descending paper chromatography,the chromatogram is held vertically,and the spot of dye is ...
A: It is still the same answer. You want the spot to run down the paper so the mobile phase has to ...
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| iron sulfate heptahydrate in water | 6/11/2004 |
Q: I am a graduate student making up medium for some bacteria. I was wonding about a stock solution ...
A: Depending on what the next step is, it should be ok, if the next step is mixing with other ...
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| Water boiling | 5/17/2004 |
Q: the other day I was boiling some water, and i was wondering in the begining of the boiling, you can ...
A: Normal water has oxygen in it 1-8 mg/L. But the bubble you saw was not oxygen. What happens when ...
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| dispersions | 5/7/2004 |
Q: What is the difference between a colloid and an emulsion?
A: Generally, the size of the droplets or particles. Some people use them interchangably. colloid - a ...
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| Carbon Monoxide from Sulfuric Acid reaction? | 4/28/2004 |
Q: While investigating the cause of a CO alarm, the highest levels were found to be in an area ...
A: What you may be seeing is that your alarm is sensitive to other sources. This is common among CO ...
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| intro to chemistry II | 4/13/2004 |
Q: Im working right now on finding the activation energy required for a certain problem. We know the ...
A: -4.423=LnA-5.0x10^1 -4.423 + 50 = ln[A] 45.577 = ln[A] is one mistake Are you using the ...
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| Vitamin C Research Project | 4/12/2004 |
Q: I have recently concluded data collection on a research project on the retention of Ascorbic Acid ...
A: Another thought: did you standardize the iodine each time? Your solution may lose potency over ...
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| equilibrium position | 3/23/2004 |
Q: I have a question related to chemical equilibrium. First of all what is equilbrium position and ...
A: The equilibrium is a constant number that applies to the system under study. See definition in your ...
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| Heavy Metal Detection | 3/18/2004 |
Q: I am part of a group of students who are interested in finding out just what is in a nearby river ...
A: Those three metals can not be done without very specific expensive equipment. For example, a color ...
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| Ink solvents and cleaners | 2/28/2004 |
Q: I like to refill my own inkjet cartridges, but need something to clean the inkjets now and then. ...
A: Your only two choices are rubbing alcohol and the material they sell at Office supply stores. ...
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| Nuclear Waster | 2/17/2004 |
Q: Hey, how are ya? My question is: assuming we could safely launch a gigantic rocket packed full of ...
A: Compared to the sun, the rocket would be a tear in the ocean. It has been considered. The problem ...
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| copper reactivity | 2/8/2004 |
Q: my question is: will copper (specifically a copper pipe) react with a dough made up of sugar,water ...
A: Digesting the glycerin might be the biggest problem. Unless the copper pipe is corroded or chipped, ...
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