As today marks the past halfway point of this year’s Chemistry Advent Calendar, it seemed like a good point to post a reminder of its existence in case it had slipped under anyone’s radar. You’ll have noticed that other new posts have taken a back seat, as the graphics for the calendar have monopolised the time that I haven’t been spending doing marking for my classes!
It’s the start of December tomorrow, which means it’s time for the second year of the Compound Interest Advent Calendar! From tomorrow,…
Gold, frankincense and myrrh are key parts of the traditional Christmas story, brought as gifts by the Three Wise Men. Of course, gold we’re all more than aware of, but frankincense and myrrh are perhaps more mysterious substances in the modern day. This post takes a look at the chemistry of all three.
The aroma of pine trees is one that’s evocative of Christmas; one of the responsible molecules, alpha-pinene, has already been featured on the Chemistry Advent Calendar, but here we take a more detailed look at the chemical constituents of the aroma.
There are few things more warming than a mug of mulled wine in the depths of December. Exact recipes may vary, but they all include a common core of ingredients, each of which contributes something to the final flavour. This graphic examines some of the key chemicals that each ingredient adds into the mix, with more detail on each provided below.
Following on from the start of the Chemistry Advent Calendar yesterday, here’s another festive post, this time looking at the chemistry of the poinsettia plant. The red leaves of the poinsettia plant can be used to make a pH indicator, due to their chemical composition; this is actually something of an upgrade on one of the oldest posts on the site, now complete with a explanatory graphic!
