Possible structural colour in coffee rings?
https://redd.it/1m4l21v
@r_chemistry
Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide
Mixed about a 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide 3% with about 1 cup of white vinegar, to clean some mold, didnt know at the time not to mix them, when i mixed them I got an electrical shock through the spray bottle into my hand, which made me go google it, any risk of harmful fumes or anything that could have happened? Anything to be concerned about? Thanks
https://redd.it/1m4bj1g
@r_chemistry
Molecule jewelry
https://redd.it/1m4disk
@r_chemistry
If you mixed sodium borate (i.e. borax) with water, would the solution be basic, acidic, or neutral?
If you mixed some sodium borate (Na2H20B4O17) with water (H2O), would the aqueous solution be a base, an acid, or neither?
And if it's basic or acidic, how strong? Wikipedia says "[Borax\] dissolves in water to make a basic solution due to the tetraborate anion." But it also says that borax is closely related to, easily converted to, and sometimes confused with boric acid, which presumably is acidic.
The "borax" I'd use is just the commercially available "20 Mule Team" borax, and I'm not even 100% sure that it is pure sodium borate, either. The water would jut be tap water, which in my area has a small amount of chloramine mixed in to sterilize it, and I don't know if the chloramine would affect the reaction.
Keep in mind that I'm not a chemist, so apologies for any dumb assumptions!
https://redd.it/1m4820x
@r_chemistry
Weird question…
I know this is probably a weird question, but if atoms are mostly empty space, how is it that solids look so compact with no gaps in? Do atoms overlap so the nuclei are really close together? Wouldn’t there be issues with like charge repulsion if nuclei are too close together and electrons are on top of each other?
I know this is probably more a physical chemistry question (I’m only studying med chem, so haven’t done physical since first year)
It’s just a weird and confusing concept to me.
https://redd.it/1m43rwn
@r_chemistry
Is the color of liquid ozone purple or violet?
As the ozone concentration in liquid ozonated oxygen increases, the blue color deepens, eventually turning purple/violet after most of the diatomic oxygen is gone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EVrIcaVrqM&t=236s
Is it known whether or not that final color is true spectral violet? The starting mixture being blue indicates that it's scattering light with a wavelength of ~450 nm. When the concentration change makes it appear more purple/violet, is that because the peak-scattering wavelength shifts to be shorter? (violet light is scattered moreso than blue) Or is it because an increasing amount of red light is scattered in addition to continued scattering of blue light?
https://redd.it/1m3vjgu
@r_chemistry
Why has this metal part of my washing machine corroded? It has happened twice on two different machines.
https://redd.it/1m3ryog
@r_chemistry
I had citric acid in a closed container in the form of transparent crystals and it turned white. What causes this?
https://redd.it/1m3s64l
@r_chemistry
How do they measure sunscreen spf level?
I found this website, sunscreentester.com, which has really good information about the effectivity of spf products in the market. He tests the products’ ability to block uva, uvb, and uvi.
I was so disappointed to find out that my sunscreen, EltaMD UV Clear with SPF 46, performed very bad with a rating of 1/5 stars. I also found it mind boggling that the CeraVe Tinted Sunscreen with only SPF 30 blocked 99%+ of the uv rays.
Could someone explain how these companies even came up with the SPF level of these products?
https://redd.it/1m37kve
@r_chemistry
What is this glassware used for?
https://redd.it/1m3dada
@r_chemistry
Recovering gold, having trouble with the final steps. Any tips or guides?
https://redd.it/1m2ymmh
@r_chemistry
Job or grad school?!
I am a recent chem graduate. I had an internship in industry during college and they gave me a full time job after I graduated! I’m super thankful for it, but it’s also never been a long term thing for me. I definitely want to go to grad school at some point and also move away from my hometown. Just this week, I got accepted into grad school (spring 2026) and also got an out of the blue job offer for 75k (for reference I make 42k now). Both of these offers are in the state I’m wanting to move to!! So now I’m torn lol.
https://redd.it/1m34krn
@r_chemistry
Can I do chem if my math is terrible?
Hello, I'm a highschool student still deciding what to do in uni and I was concidering biochem but my math is pretty bad...I was wondering if I could still manage in chem with my poor math skills. I've been told that more basic chem doesn't require high level math other than some algebra but i'm not sure about higher level chemistry stuff. Thanks :)
https://redd.it/1m2z4f6
@r_chemistry
What is argon most known for?
In the same way that Chlorine is most associated with pool water and chemical warfare and Potassium is heavily associated with bananas, what is Argon typically associated with?
https://redd.it/1m2tnaj
@r_chemistry
What’s the correct pronunciation of “peroxide”?
I'm from an Asian country, and people here pronounce it differently—some say "pe-ROK-side," and others say "per-OX-ide." Which pronunciation is correct?
I think I wrote it wrong—let me correct it:
Some say “per‑ox‑ide,” while others say “pair‑ox‑ide”. Which one is actually correct?
https://redd.it/1m2px3g
@r_chemistry
How to learn chemistry?
I am wondering how you guys learned chemistry or resources to learn about chemistry without being in college as I am to young to do so.
https://redd.it/1m4jwhh
@r_chemistry
grad school- worth it?
hey! i’m a recent-ish chemistry grad and i wanted to ask for y’all’s advice.
so, i’ve always known i wanted to go to grad school. my final semester of college i kept beating myself up and telling myself i wasn’t good enough to get into anywhere so i never finished my applications. my chemistry gpa is a 3.4 (thought it was lower- that’s why i was so hard on myself) and i have 2 and a half years of undergrad lab experience outside of my coursework.
i started a research adjacent job after college and while it’s nice to still be in science, the longer i’m there the more i realize that this just isn’t what i want long term. i’m also in a bio heavy field right now but all my undergrad research was physical chem. i told myself that the money and schedule would be nice but right now i can’t even justify why i didn’t apply in the first place.
here’s my big question - is it worth it to apply to grad school? i’ll be 2 years removed from undergrad when the next application cycle comes up. i know what i want to do with my life and what i need is a phd. i also know what groups i’d like to join and where. i’m just not sure if there will be a big learning curve compared to someone fresh out of undergrad. please let me know your advice and your experiences!! thank you guys :))
https://redd.it/1m4cxym
@r_chemistry
What’s happening?!
https://redd.it/1m4bsw6
@r_chemistry
Ferrous sulphate purified by recristallization
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1m450xc
https://redd.it/1m4518r
@r_chemistry
Advice for filtering a super fine precipitate?
I recently synthesised some copper(II) oxide, by precipitating out Cu(OH)2 from a CuCl2 solution by adding NaOH, Then degraded the Cu(OH)2 into Cu2O, by heating.
I would now like to wash the copper oxide to remove any residual ions, however the precipitate I formed is too fine to practically filter. Is there anything I can do to increase the precipitate partile size to make it easier to filter and wash? Or are there other methods of controlling variables so that next time the precipitate forms in larger particles?
I am currently washing the copper oxide by letting it settle, pipetting off as much of the supernatant as possible and then adding deionised water and agitating, but this is a slow and ineffective process, I can help but feel that there is a more effective method of washing.
https://redd.it/1m3ty9b
@r_chemistry
As an undergrad chem major, what do you wish you knew or did before majoring in chem?
What should I expect before majoring in chem? How do I get above a 92 in the class while managing pre-med and many extracurriculars?
https://redd.it/1m3ueps
@r_chemistry
How to remove these stains?
https://redd.it/1m3sl99
@r_chemistry
Research/ Projects/ Internships
I'm currently studying Organic Chemistry and have recently developed a strong interest in Computational Chemistry. I'm eager to work on a project that blends both fields and would love to find remote opportunities—especially with mentors who guide online. ( I don’t want to deal with my professors, not very friendly )
Are there any platforms or people you’d recommend for such collaborations or paper-based projects?
Thanks in advance!
https://redd.it/1m3pg66
@r_chemistry
1 molar of NaOH
Hi, I need expert opinions. Are PPE and ventilation required when someone is working with one molar of NaOH? Please point me to specific sources because I'm having a hard time finding these, and I need them. Thank you!
https://redd.it/1m3iozn
@r_chemistry
Buying a car with Bio-chemical Hazard tag on.
https://redd.it/1m3akwg
@r_chemistry
hexavalent chromium exposure in furniture
https://redd.it/1m37yz8
@r_chemistry
Making some iodine monochloride
https://redd.it/1m35seu
@r_chemistry
Is it ok to pour 1M NaOH into a glass beaker while you’re in the process of using it?
Got into a little argument with a friend over this. As a chemical engineering undergraduate, I was only aware that NaOH should not be stored for a long time in glass bottles and that you should use plastic beakers for insanely concentrated NaOH, say 19 M. However, a buddy of mine says that you should always use plastic any time your need to store NaOH, even if dilute AND it’s only over the course of 30 minutes while you’re actively using it for an experiment. We aren’t chemists, and online searches only gave me general advice of “don’t store NaOH in glass for long periods of time” so we’re at an impasse. Also, since the argument started because I was using 1M NaOH in a beaker I’d also like to know if weakened the beaker or anything like that so I can chuck it before it cracks when it’s full of TMAH or some other terrible chemical.
https://redd.it/1m2wa4m
@r_chemistry
Is an advanced degree worth it?
This may be more of a rant than a question, so I apologize. I've been in the analytical field for about a decade. I started as a technician, worked through QC/QA and have been working as an analytical development chemist in pharma for a few years (method development, validations, stability , NDA/ANDA supporting studies, etc.). I'm very happy in my line of work (method development gets me off).
Recently I've been having some imposter syndrome and have been thinking about going back to school (currently have bachelors degrees in chem and forensics); I just can't decide if it's worth it. I'm not happy with my job (I love analytical development, just not my employers ATM), but the market is tough right now in my area. My job would also never pay for a masters. Someone I was speaking with about it recently asked if it was something I should consider and I said no, because I thought industry experience would speak for itself; but now I'm questioning that.
To anyone that went back for a Masters or Ph.D, did it make a big enough difference?
https://redd.it/1m2q1e2
@r_chemistry
why does this keep happening to my shirts?
https://redd.it/1m2gk74
@r_chemistry
