Monthly Archives: September 2017

Mad Scientist Costume — A mad scientist costume is one of the easiest and least expensive costumes you can put together yourself. It’s the perfect costume for Halloween or science parties. Mad Scientist Costume Basics A mad scientist costume comes down to freaky hair, a crazed look in your eye, a lab coat, and […]

Mad Scientist Costume You Can Make Yourself

This entry was posted on September 28, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on May 17, 2021)

Grams to Moles — Converting grams to moles is a common chemistry problem. Usually, you see it when you know the mass of a substance, but not the balanced equation for the reaction. These two example problems show the best way to convert grams to moles and moles to grams of a molecule. Grams to […]

Converting Grams to Moles Example Problem – Convert g to ...

This entry was posted on September 26, 2017 by Todd Helmenstine (updated on August 7, 2022)

Balancing an Egg on the Equinox — According to a popular urban legend, it’s only possible to balance an egg on end on the equinox. The equinox occurs twice a year, with the spring or vernal equinox falling around March 20 and the fall or autumnal equinox occurring around September 22. On these two days of the […]

Equinox Egg Balance Science – Is It Really Easier on ...

This entry was posted on September 20, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on September 25, 2021)

magnesium boron — Atomic mass is the combined mass of all the protons, neutrons, and electrons that make up an atom. Electrons have nearly 1/2000th of the mass of protons and neutrons, so electrons are typically ignored in calculations involving atomic mass. This means the atomic mass is the sum of the masses […]

How to Find Atomic Mass – Calculate Atomic Mass Example ...

This entry was posted on September 19, 2017 by Todd Helmenstine (updated on May 17, 2021)

Graduated Cylinder (Gordon) — It’s often necessary to dry or pre-rinse a graduated cylinder for use in chemistry lab. When you wash or dispense liquid from a graduated cylinder, a small amount of liquid remains. This liquid can have an adverse effect on your results, so you may need to either pre-rinse the cylinder […]

How to Dry or Pre-Rinse a Graduated Cylinder

This entry was posted on September 18, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 5, 2022)

The 2017 Ig Nobel Prize awards ceremony was held September 14 at Harvard University. The ceremony honored ten real scientists who have done something that makes people laugh and then makes them think. The theme for 2017 was “Uncertainty.” The festivities included the traditional paper airplane deluge, “Welcome, Welcome” speech, […]

2017 Ig Nobel Prize List of Winners

This entry was posted on September 14, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on May 17, 2021)

Quartz is only the most common mineral on the Earth's surface. (JJ Harrison) — Have you ever wondered which mineral is the most abundant? There is more than one right answer to the question, depending on the context of the question and how picky you want to get about the answer. Here’s a look at the contenders for the title of Most Common Mineral: […]

What Is the Most Common Mineral? Probably not What You ...

This entry was posted on September 14, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on January 29, 2023)

Lutetium Electron Configuration — Lutetium is a dense, silvery-white rare earth metal. Here is a collection of interesting element facts for lutetium or cassiopeium: Lutetium was the last natural rare earth element that was discovered. It was discovered in 1907 by three scientists, working independently from each other. Georges Urbain, Charles James, and Carl Auer von […]

Lutetium Facts – Atomic Number 71 or Lu

This entry was posted on September 11, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on May 22, 2022)

Ancient tattoo ink recipes produce ink that is black or brown. (Giulia Bertelli) — This ancient tattoo ink recipe was devised by the Roman physician Aetius. It can be expected to produce a nice permanent iron-based ink, though the ingredients may cause irritation for some individuals. The reader is advised that this recipe is of historical significance, but safer and higher quality inks are available […]

Ancient Roman Tattoo Ink Recipe

This entry was posted on September 11, 2017 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on May 17, 2021)