More on Methane...smelly farts and exploding intestines!

You never know what you'll find when you start searching the internet for simple things like videos on methane.  If you need a break from studying, give these posts a read:

I mentioned in a post on methane bubbles in ice that methane is actually odourless.  Even though methane is the gas we often associated with farts (possibly because of studies on how much methane cows release), it must not be the methane that makes farts smelly.  Did you know that some scientists have actually studied the volume and "odour intensity" of farts!  Read this post, especially the description of the study to find out more.  If you just can't believe that a study on farts actually got published, you can read the whole article here. 

Like you saw in lab, methane is combustible.  If methane is in your intestines, does that mean your intestines could explode?!  Well, actually, in certain (very limited) circumstances, it can! Check out the summary on how it happens here.

Studies on farts and exploding intestines...who knew?  The question is, who volunteers to have their farts measured...or (even worse) to judge farts for their smelliness!

Fire and Ice

Check out this video about methane being released as permafrost thaws.  Remember, in lab (and in our homes) scent is added to natural gas so we can detect a leak.  Methane on its own is odourless, so one way to test for it is to see if it ignites!

You'll see a demo in chemistry lab this week using methane bubbles; this video shows the same reaction on a much larger scale!

On a non-chemistry note, this also reminds me of a poem I learned in elementary school, "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.  I knew that English class would be useful!

Acid and Bases - extra help

You've heard about pH in biology, you've calculated it in math, and you're using it in chemistry...acids and bases are everywhere!

Want some more practice on pH to [H+] conversions? Check out this helpful site.

Valentine's Day Chemistry!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  What better way than to celebrate with a little chemistry?

Hope you enjoyed the refresher lesson on single and double replacement reactions!

How to Crush a 55 Gallon Drum

In chemistry lab this week, you saw that atmospheric pressure could crush a pop can.  Did you know that it is even strong enough to crush a 55 gallon drum?

In this video, Steve Spangler uses the same principles we used in class to crush a large drum!  He boils water in the drum and then caps it off (we sealed our pop can by submerging it in water).  After quickly cooling the drum in a kiddie-pool of ice, the water vapour condenses and the crushing begins...check it out:

There's an App for That...balancing equations

Do you want some more practice balancing equations?  Use the app below to go through some practice and play a balancing game.  Have fun!

Click to Run

Moles of Molecules and Bales of Hay

Are you still having trouble picturing what exactly a "mole" is in chemistry?  This page has a great dialogue that helps explain what a mole is and why we need to know Avogadro's number.  Have a read through!

App: Building an Atom

Want some practice figuring out how many protons, neutrons and electrons are in an atom?  This app will let you build atoms and figure out what element they would belong to.  This is a great, interactive way to study for your upcoming chemistry test!!

Click to Run