Chemistry

Chemistry

This glitter gets its color from plants, not a synthetic plastic

In the new material, tiny arrangements of cellulose reflect light in specific ways to create vibrant hues in an environmentally friendly glitter.

Chemistry

A new way to make plastics could keep them from littering the seas

Borrowing from genetics, scientists are creating plastics that will degrade. They can even choose how quickly these materials break down.

Chemistry

Scientists Say: Experiment

An experiment is a set of procedures to learn about the world — and an important part of the scientific process.

Chemistry

Scientists find a ‘greener’ way to make jeans blue

When coated onto jeans, a plant-based polymer reduces water and cuts the amount of toxic chemicals needed.

Chemistry

Chemistry solves a French royal mystery

Ink analysis reveals the hidden words of Marie Antoinette's letters and who tried to hide them.

Chemistry

Everyday plastics can pollute, leaching thousands of chemicals

Plastic bags and containers leach potentially toxic chemicals into both food and water, but researchers yet don’t know how they might affect health.

Chemistry

Scientists Say: Electron

Electrons are negatively charged particles. They are attracted to the positively charged particles in the center, or nucleus, of an atom.

Chemistry

Chemists win Nobel Prize for faster, cleaner way of making molecules

Both scientists independently came up with new process — asymmetric organocatalysis. That name may be a mouthful, but it’s not that hard to understand.

Chemistry

Explainer: In chemistry, what does it mean to be organic?

These are molecules formed by combining carbon with other elements, especially hydrogen.

Chemistry

Scientists Say: Plasma

In physics, plasma refers to one of the four states of matter. In medicine, plasma describes the part of blood that ferries cells, nutrients and more throughout the body.

Chemistry

Scientists Say: Aerosol

Aerosols are tiny bits of solids or drops of liquids suspended in gas. Aerosols include mist, fog and soot, as well as pollution from fossil fuels.

Chemistry

Scientists Say: Oxidation and Reduction

Oxidation and reduction are two parts of a chemical process in which one atom steals electrons from another.