Anne Helmenstine

Some people think cilantro and coriander taste like soap. — If you crave tacos al carbon with onions and cilantro or are a big fan of chutney or falafal, you likely appreciate the tangy citrus flavor of cilantro. However, a significant number of people think cilantro tastes like soap. Whether you like cilantro or loathe it depends on genetics and […]

Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap? Recently updated !

This entry was posted on February 7, 2019 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 7, 2019)

Icebergs are made of freshwater. — Icebergs float in saltwater, so you might think they consist of frozen saltwater. Actually, icebergs are made of freshwater. How Icebergs Form Icebergs form on one of two ways: Icebergs form when a large chunk of freshwater ice breaks off or “calves” from an ice shelf or a glacier. This […]

Are Icebergs Made of Freshwater or Saltwater? Recently updated !

This entry was posted on January 30, 2019 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 11, 2019)

Fire Breathing Performer (TVR) — Fire breathing is a dramatic effect created when a person blows a spray of fuel over a flame. The result is a plume of flame jetting from the fire breather’s mouth. The effect is simple to achieve, but not so easy to do safely. Most performers use kerosene, lamp oil, […]

Fire-Breathing: How to Breathe Fire Safely Recently updated !

This entry was posted on January 30, 2019 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 9, 2019)

These are the transition metals, according to the IUPAC definition. — The transition metals are the largest group of elements on the periodic table. They got their name because English chemist Charles Bury described a transition series of elements in 1921. Bury examined the transition from an inner electron layer with 8 electrons to a layer with 18 electrons and from […]

Transition Metals Recently updated !

This entry was posted on January 29, 2019 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 11, 2019)

A neutral tritium atom contains one proton, two neutrons, and one electron. — Tritium is the radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen. It is also known as hydrogen-3 or using the shorthand notation T or 3H in chemical formulas and reactions. The nucleus of the tritium atom, called a triton, contains one proton and two neutrons. The word tritium comes from the Greek […]

Tritium Facts (Hydrogen Isotope) Recently updated !

This entry was posted on January 28, 2019 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 11, 2019)

The nitrogen triiodide demonstration produces a loud sound and a cloud of purple vapor. — The nitrogen triiodide chemistry demonstration is a dramatic explosive reaction that produces sound and colored vapor. Crystals of iodine react with concentrated ammonia to precipitate nitrogen triiodide (NI3). The NI3 is then filtered out. When dry, the compound is so unstable that the slightest contact causes it to decompose into […]

How to Perform the Nitrogen Triiodide Chemistry Demonstration

This entry was posted on January 25, 2019 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on January 30, 2019)