Cooking vs Chemistry

Chemistry is like cooking ... just don't lick the spoon.

Cooking can be used to help students understand fundamental chemical concepts, like chemical equations and stoichiometry.

Read how at https://www.ausetute.com.au/ausenews/ausenews.html

Underwater Bubbles

 A backyard experiment you can do that will help you see Boyle's law in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHvGtWXTdso

 You will find more information in the feature article about SCUBA diving in the June 2022 issue of AUS-e-NEWS.

Let's Go SCUBA Diving

In 2021, Mitchell Goodwin, an experienced SCUBA diver, was diving off the coast of Mandurah in Western Australia. According to the report in the "West Australian", he descended to a depth of 42 m and stayed at this depth for 27 minutes. On his ascent, he made one decompression stop. When he got back to the boat he felt nauseous, lost his hearing, his sight, and blacked out.

What had gone wrong?

Read more in the June 2022 edition of AUS-e-NEWS.

Subscribe to AUS-e-NEWS, AUS-e-TUTE's free quarterly newsletter for chemistry students and teachers, at https://www.ausetute.com.au/ausenews.html

Energy from Hydrogen

Hydrogen releases a lot of energy when it combusts, so much energy that it is hoped we will be able to use it to power our future.

Where does all that energy come from?

Read the June 2021 edition of AUS-e-NEWS to find out more.

Subscribe for free at https://www.ausetute.com.au/ausenews.html

Chemistry of Tooth Decay and Prevention

Tooth decay is a major health concern.

For more than 50 years we have been adding fluoride to our water supplies and toothpaste to help prevent tooth decay.

It is estimated that this fluoridation of drinking water alone has resulted in a 25% decrease of tooth decay in children and adults.

What causes tooth decay and how does fluoride prevent tooth decay and cavities?

 Learn about the chemistry of tooth decay and how to prevent it in the March 2021 issue of AUS-e-NEWS. Subscribe to AUS-e-NEWS for free at https://www.ausetute.com.au/ausenews.html

How to Kill the COVID-19 Virus

By the middle of 2020 millions of people had been infected with a virus which causes a disease known as COVID-19 and hundreds of thousands of people had died.

So I was intrigued when I read that Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, an infection control expert from the University of New South Wales, had stated that, "it's relatively easy to kill compared to some other viruses".

Why is the COVID-19 virus easy to kill and how do you kill it? 

Read this edition of AUS-e-NEWS to find out more.

Subscribe to AUS-e-NEWS at https://www.ausetute.com.au/ausenews.html

Nitrogen vs Air in Car Tyres

The tread on my car tyres had worn down, so I popped into my local tyre retailer to buy 4 new tyres.

"We can inflate your new tyres with air, or, for an extra $5 per tyre we can fill them with nitrogen gas", the sales person told me, " Nitrogen gas doesn't react with tyre and rim material so your tyres will last longer, it will help maintain the pressure in your tyres so you won't need to check your tyre pressure as often, and it reduces the running temperature of the tyres so your tyres are less likely to explode."

Is this just marketing hype or are there good reasons for choosing to inflate your car tyres with nitrogen instead of air?

Read the March 2020 edition of AUS-e-NEWS to find out more.

Subscribe to AUS-e-NEWS, AUS-e-TUTE's free quarterly newsletter for chemistry teachers and students, at https://www.ausetute.com.au/ausenews.html

Lithium-ion batteries

When you walk around having a chat to your friends on your mobile phone, or watch a show on your tablet, or do your homework on your laptop in a cosy cafe, have you ever stopped to wonder about the amazing revolution in chemistry that allows you to do these "every day" things?

Batteries that are small, that can store enough electrical energy so that they can be used continuously for hours, can be quickly recharged, and can be discharged and recharged many, many times, are a very recent development. Without these batteries your life-style would be a lot less mobile!

What makes these batteries so special?

Find out in the December 2019 issue of AUS-e-NEWS

https://www.ausetute.com.au/ausenews.html