American Chemical Society
How Do Hand Sanitizers Work?
Many hand sanitizers claim to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria—is that true? Learners explore how hand sanitizer actually works and how effective it is in an interesting video. They learn how hand sanitizer works to break apart the...
American Chemical Society
The Only Video You'll Ever Need to Watch About Gluten
Is gluten really bad for you? Scholars learn why gluten is important in baking by learning about its structure and investigate how it breaks down during digestion—and why some people have a hard time digesting it. Finally, they make a...
American Chemical Society
Thanksgiving Turkey Compilation
Why do people get so sleepy after eating big meals? Using a fun video about Thanksgiving food, learners explore turkey and the other foods common to Thanksgiving meals. They learn how deep frying a turkey changes the way it cooks as part...
American Chemical Society
Are We Running out of Helium?
Helium is a favorite element of young children everywhere! A video lesson from a larger series examines the properties of helium and why they may contribute to its eventual extinction. The lesson also explores possible industrial...
American Chemical Society
Why Are Birds Different Colors?
Above all else, a bird's color is what sets it apart from other birds. Learn what creates their unique plumage in an installment of a video series. The video presents the physical and chemical reasons for the variation in colors as well...
American Chemical Society
Women in Chemistry: Heroes of the Periodic Table
Although Dimitri Mendeleev developed the periodic table in 1871, there have been many changes and discoveries since. A video lesson presents the contributions of two prominent women chemists: Maire Curie and Ida Tacke. The narrator...
American Chemical Society
3 Egg-cellently Weird Science Experiments
Have you ever seen an egg bounce? Three interesting and simple hands-on experiments with eggs teach basic concepts about chemical reactions. First, participants cook an egg in alcohol to learn about denaturing proteins. Then, they watch...
American Chemical Society
Why Don’t Antarctic Fish Freeze to Death?
Some fish not only survive but thrive in Antarctic waters. Learn their secret in a lesson in an informative video about the freezing point of the salty sea water as well as the antifreeze proteins in the species' circulatory system.
American Chemical Society
Why Tardigrades Are Some of the Most Hardcore Critters on the Planet
Small but fierce! The tardigrades are less than a millimeter long but can survive extreme cold, extreme heat, and even being in a vacuum. A video presentation explains the unique protein these organisms use to withstand extreme situations.
American Chemical Society
How Do You Catch Fruit Flies?
You can catch more fruit flies with vinegar than honey! Yes, that's right—they prefer vinegar over honey, and a video lesson explains why. It describes the chemical components of the food fruit flies prefer, and the results may surprise...
American Chemical Society
Do Astronauts Need Sunscreen?
Why don't astronauts all come home with sunburns? It turns out that there are many different sources of radiation exposure for astronauts. A video outlines the radioactive dangers and protective measures astronauts must take.
American Chemical Society
How Is Leather Made?
Leather tanning is a chemical production! Scholars watch as a video outlines the chemistry behind processing leather. The instructor describes the chemical makeup of the leather itself and the structure of the chemicals that preserve the...
American Chemical Society
Why Does Humidity Feel Gross?
Where does sweat go when the relative humidity is 100 percent? Well, there is no place for it to go—that's the point! A lesson on humidity, dew point, and heat index describes how to interpret a local weather report. A video explains the...
American Chemical Society
Can Plastic Be Composted?
Some plastics market as green, but are they really? Turns out, the question is a complicated one. A video lesson describes how these new plastics may have some decomposing properties but need a little boost from industry. The lesson...
American Chemical Society
Fact or Fiction: Uncooked Rice Is Bad for Birds
Rice is made of starches that absorb moisture, but is it enough to be harmful to birds? In true myth-buster form, a video lesson explains the science that disproves the thought that rice is bad for birds. The episode compares the...
American Chemical Society
How to Survive the Snow and Ice
Can you tell the difference between artificial snow and the real thing? An informative video explains the structure of a snowflake crystal, both real and artificial. It finishes with a discussion of the chemistry related to salting...
American Chemical Society
How Does Low-Dose Aspirin Work?
Baby aspirin is a life saver for many adults! A video lesson discusses the effect aspirin has on blood even in low doses. Learners discover how aspirin changes blood clots—a key to preventing medical conditions such as heart attacks and...
American Chemical Society
Why Flamingos Are Pink and Hardcore
They're not just pretty faces! Flamingos may look delicate, but they have adaptations that allow them to survive in areas most other organisms cannot. A video lesson in a larger ACS Reactions series describes how flamingos survive in...
American Chemical Society
How Plastic Recycling Actually Works
Those recycled plastic bottles end up as some pretty interesting things in their second lives. A lesson explains the process of recycling plastic. Scholars learn about the different products of recycled plastic—including t-shirts!
American Chemical Society
What Are Isotopes? Chemistry Basics
Use animations to explain the concept of an isotope. Young scholars view a lesson from the Reaction series dedicated to isotopes. They learn what an isotope is and why they are important to complete a great back-to-basics lesson.
American Chemical Society
Yellowstone Steaming Acid Pools of Death
Although beautiful, Yellowstone Park has some inherent dangers. An episode of a larger Reactions series explains how the volcanic hot springs in the park affect the pH of the water as well as its temperature. Learners make connections to...
American Chemical Society
How Air Conditioning Works
In mid-July, most are thankful for the chemistry of air conditioning. Learn how those chemical processes create the cool air that makes those hot summer months more manageable! A lesson installment describes how an air conditioner uses...
American Chemical Society
TV Forensics: What Do CSIs Actually Do?
TV dramas tend to exaggerate the forensic science components. Learn what true forensic chemistry looks like in an installment of a larger series covering reactions. Viewers see that chromatography, mass spectrography, and methodical...
American Chemical Society
How Do We Know the Half Life of Uranium and Can You Collect Gold Once It's Dissolved in Acid?
Participate in a little chemistry Q and A! Part of a larger series on reactions, an informative lesson takes questions from viewers and crafts responses. The video explains how we arrive at an accurate half-life of a radioactive...