Strand C: Chemicals in Consumer Products

Learn about how catalytic converters make vehicle emissions less harmful.

When deceased whales wash up on shore, people fear they might explode. Gas laws, decomposition reactions and organic chemistry can help us understand this fear.

Has your fresh juicy apple turned an unsightly brown? Learn about the redox reaction behind the transformation.

Acid rain is any precipitation that has an unusually low pH. It can be rain, snow, fog, etc. But what is a low pH and why is this a problem?

Learn about the wide variety of fuels used in vehicles.

What are your teeth made up of? What chemistry is at work in your mouth? Why do some people get cavities even if they brush regularly?

Why does drinking too much alcohol make people feel so bad? Read about four theories.

Oceans absorb the greatest amount of solar radiation on Earth. Ocean warming can lead to glaciers melting and ocean acidification.

Learn about the role of yeast in this fun decomposition reaction.

It starts with curds and whey! Explore the basic chemistry behind making cheese in this hands on activity.

This backgrounder explains what greenhouse gases are and how they contribute to climate change.

Learn about the chemical reaction that happens between acid rain and limestone.

Learn about acid-base reactions. Make you own pH indicator and test it with different solutions.

Things are heating up! Explore the temperature change that occurs in an exothermic reaction and the role of catalysts is this chemistry activity.

Learn about the organic compounds that make up lipstick as well as about some of the chemistry that goes into this popular cosmetic.