I am planning to go get my PhD in chemistry and I am waiting to hear back from schools. I have already been accepted to 3 schools (one in the top 10), however, I really like some of the faculty at one located in the 30s in the rankings. How important are the rankings and will they have a big affect on my career?
posted by stevechemist
on Jan 30, 2010 -
11 answers
How can Prelief react with food acid but not with stomach acid?
[more inside]
posted by Ery
on Jan 22, 2010 -
10 answers
I'm throwing a chemistry themed birthday party. I need help generating some awesome ideas.
[more inside]
posted by Carhart
on Jan 20, 2010 -
35 answers
What is the best way to move hot air? Would it be blowing air across the heat source (ex: wood stove) or suck the air away from the heat source?
[more inside]
posted by ascetic
on Dec 16, 2009 -
11 answers
NoveltyUseOnlyFilter: Chemists- do you think it would be possible to develop a chemical compound (aerosol? liquid?) which could counter tear gas by causing it to break down/change phase?
[more inside]
posted by Truthiness
on Dec 10, 2009 -
6 answers
I'm baking chocolate chip cookies and after looking at some recipes, I realized that they all use baking soda (not baking powder) as the leavening agent. The explanation is that baking soda interacts with the acids in the chocolate to produce the leavening CO2. My question is this: Can I freeze my baking soda leavened dough? Can I leave it in the fridge until I'm ready to bake?
[more inside]
posted by ACF
on Dec 9, 2009 -
17 answers
my mother used to put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in milk to keep it fresh past the 'use by' date. it appears to work. very well. what's the chemistry behind this? and should i drink it?
posted by msconduct
on Nov 30, 2009 -
16 answers
What type of equipment is necessary to determine the chemical makeup of a given substance, is such equipment available to the general public, and if so at what cost?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 16, 2009 -
22 answers
What happened to my Shampoo? I mixed two different Shampoo brands about 70/30 and liked the resultant mixture. The next time I mixed them 50/50 and overnight the mixture lost all it's "thickness" (viscosity, I guess) and still works fine, but is as thin as milk if not thinner.
[more inside]
posted by Rafaelloello
on Oct 23, 2009 -
6 answers
Can you think of an example of when a color could be said to have "changed the world"?
[more inside]
posted by Ziggurat
on Aug 10, 2009 -
32 answers
I feel like I am exerting a lot of energy towards dating without much return. I have fun while doing it, but since I rarely meet someone who lasts more than a date or two, it’s starting to feel like an exercise in futility. I have dating quantity, but how do I get quality?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Aug 10, 2009 -
29 answers
My shower (an in-stall water heater) sometimes smells like something rubber is burning. It's a strong acrid smell that I only notice while in the shower and usually only after a sweaty workout. There is no sign of smoke like you would expect with burning rubber. Is this just some sort of weird sweat and treated water chemical reaction? Anybody heard of something like this?
posted by srboisvert
on Jul 24, 2009 -
11 answers
Physics/chemistry/tire tread composition filter. Why does adding silica to the rubber compound in a tire tread reduce rolling resistance?
[more inside]
posted by tronec
on Jul 22, 2009 -
5 answers
What combinations of colourless non-toxic substances result in something that's coloured, or at least opaque?
[more inside]
posted by greatgefilte
on Jul 3, 2009 -
4 answers
Chocolate espresso - impossible? I want to make espresso hot chocolate, but after reading up it seems as though it's not doable. At all. Am I right?
[more inside]
posted by goo
on Jun 6, 2009 -
23 answers
What techniques do chemists use to map the molecular structure of a substance?
posted by shivohum
on May 31, 2009 -
15 answers
What do you call a gel that turns into a liquid with very minor agitation/pressure?
[more inside]
posted by Bugbread
on May 30, 2009 -
10 answers
I've just poured myself a
Dark Horse Brewery Tres Blueberry Stout. A slow, steady pour that left a modest head on top. And then a droplet or two skidded around over the foam like a water droplet on a hot frypan for maybe five seconds before disappearing.
Darndest thing I've ever seen. Beer geniuses, how did this happen? How can I make it happen again?
posted by ardgedee
on May 15, 2009 -
6 answers
How do laser and inkjet printers work? I know the basics, of course, but I am looking for serious expertise at the level of the actual chemistry and physics... things like fuzer specs, toner chemistry, deposition, transfer, particle masses, exotic materials; in short... the stuff an actual expert would know.
[more inside]
posted by FauxScot
on May 7, 2009 -
5 answers
I have sulfuric acid, de-ionized water, and basic lab equipment. Can I revive my crappy car battery?
[more inside]
posted by scose
on Feb 23, 2009 -
18 answers
I want to test the silver content of some items. What should I buy? I see people offering silver testing kits on Ebay. Are these a good choice, or would I better off buying the reagents themselves? If so, which ones?
posted by Joe in Australia
on Feb 16, 2009 -
5 answers
What are some interesting ways to teach the periodic table to 10th and 11th grade students?
[more inside]
posted by chr1sb0y
on Jan 25, 2009 -
13 answers
ChemistryFilter: How can I use a molecular model that was given to me to learn about the wonders of chemistry?
[more inside]
posted by PaulingL
on Dec 28, 2008 -
9 answers
I apologize for posting such a specific question:
I have an ionization scheme with 3 different pKas. I can figure out, using Henderson Hasselbalch, the hypothetical concentration of two of them. But my research adviser wants to know the concentration of all the structures in solution. And I don't have the math skills for that.
[more inside]
posted by geronimo's folly
on Dec 17, 2008 -
3 answers
I made (delicious!) mashed sweet potatoes in a conventional stove-top pot, covered the pot with Reynolds aluminum foil, then put it in a still warm but off-position oven (simply to save stove-top and counter space for the moment while wanting it to stay at room-temperature). Retrieving the pot a few hours later, I found that the inner surface of the foil had turned a light brown. It was also moist from the condensation, but had remained clean, unoiled, unburnt. I've cooked quite a bit and never seen this. What could be causing such discoloration, and is it a worrying symptom (of, say, toxins in the foil)?
[more inside]
posted by taramosalata
on Dec 14, 2008 -
6 answers
According to Wikipedia, the bond angle for water is precisely 104.45 degrees. How do they get that number? And how would one experimentally verify it?
[more inside]
posted by metastability
on Dec 14, 2008 -
16 answers
I'm working on a BA in chemistry, with a concentration in biochemistry. Compared to getting a BS, will it be harder for me to find a job when I graduate? If so, how much harder?
[more inside]
posted by pullayup
on Oct 28, 2008 -
13 answers
Chemist-Filter: I am an analytical chemist working for a company that specializes in leaching semi-precious metals out of waste material. The display on our Varian AA (atomic absorption) Spectroscope is too dark. Can it be fixed without calling in our repair/maintenance technician? All information is appreciated.
[more inside]
posted by mrw
on Oct 9, 2008 -
5 answers
I'm planning on leaving my high-pressure hard science PhD program for something that won't make me hate life quite so much. The problem is that I really don't want to go back to biotech/pharma industry, especially without a PhD, unless totally necessary to support my family. So what am I good for?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Sep 17, 2008 -
10 answers
