Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of how atoms join, break apart and rearrange. These readings explain the reactions behind cooking, breathing, rusting and life itself.
4 articles · about 12 minutes of reading
Chemistry
Acids and Bases
Lemon juice, stomach acid, soap and bleach all sit on one scale: pH. Learn what makes something acidic or alkaline, and why the balance matters in your body and the oceans.
Article · 3 min read
Chemistry
Chemical Reactions
Burning, rusting, cooking and digesting are all chemical reactions: atoms swapping partners to make new substances. Here is what happens and why some reactions go with a bang.
Article · 3 min read
Chemistry
The Chemistry of Life
Every living thing is built from four families of carbon-based molecules: carbohydrates, fats, proteins and nucleic acids. Here is what each one does.
Article · 3 min read
Chemistry
Water: The Strangest Ordinary Substance
Water covers most of the planet and makes up most of your body, yet it breaks nearly every rule a small molecule should follow. Those quirks are why life exists.
Article · 3 min read