Compound Interest
Air pollution is a growing concern in cities around the world, and seeing people on the streets wearing masks to block air pollution is increasingly common. What exactly are these masks intended to block – and more importantly, do they actually work? This month’s graphic in C&EN has the answers.
Here in the UK, a completely un-British heatwave finally came to a thundery end last weekend. Having already looked at the chemistry behind the smell of rain, here’s a look at some of the science behind thunderstorms. How does lightning happen, what gives it its blue-violet tinge, and what does it have to do with […]
On this day back in 2005, the world’s first legally-binding climate change agreement came into force. The Kyoto protocol, to which 192 countries are a party, aimed to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases by 5.2% by 2012, relative to 1990. This graphic gives a brief overview of the agreement and the outcome of its […]
Susan Solomon’s work led to confirmation that chlorine-containing compounds can deplete ozone. In particular, she explained why this depletion was focused over the poles. This graphic looks at how ozone depletion happens. Below, we’ll look in more detail at Solomon’s contributions.
In the heat of summer air conditioning units can help you beat the heat. This month’s edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN looks at how air conditioning systems work and the changing compounds that help them cool you down! Click through the the C&EN site to view the full graphic.
We know what global temperatures are like now, from direct measurement around the globe. And we know quite a lot about what temperatures were like over the past few hundred years thanks to written records. But what about further back than that? How do we know what temperatures were like a thousand years ago, or […]