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Articles on Chemistry

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If you’ve ever put wet wood on to a fire, you may have noticed it makes a lot more noise than dry wood. Shutterstock

Curious Kids: why does wood crackle in a fire?

Water and sap inside the wood make mini explosions as they turn into gas and burst out. That’s why damp wood makes the noisiest fires.
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices that commonly come in around seven colors. Shahril KHMD/Shutterstock.com

Red, white but rarely blue – the science of fireworks colors, explained

Most of us look forward to the fireworks on the Fourth of July. But did you ever wonder how the chemists create those colors that light up the night sky? Are some colors harder to create than others?
A lot of chemical reactions happen in the very short time it takes to light a match. Shutterstock

Curious Kids: when I swipe a matchstick how does it make fire?

I have been interested in the science of fire and fireworks for a long time, and can tell you there is a lot happening in the very short time it takes to light a match.
The more fuel there is for the fire to burn, the bigger the fire. Leaves, trees and grass fuel the fire. Flickr/bertknot

Curious Kids: how do bushfires start?

Bushfires require three key ingredients to ignite: heat, fuel and oxygen.
The potions classroom at the Making of Harry Potter Studio. Alex Volosianko

Why the ancient promise of alchemy is fulfilled in reading

Potions, spells and alchemy are intriguing to children and adults alike. A professor of literature explains what’s behind this fascination and reveals where to experience the magic of transformation.
A John Deere tractor makes its way through floodwaters in Fargo, North Dakota. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

The dirt on soil loss from the Midwest floods

Recent extreme rains and weather in the Midwest are causing a multitude of problems in the topsoil that much of the nation’s food supply relies on.

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