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25 topics · Preschool to Grade 8

How everyday chemistry and materials work

Why does soap wash away grease, and why does a cut apple turn brown? These topics show the chemistry and materials science hiding in the kitchen, the bathroom and the laundry room. Children see how soap, detergent and hand sanitizer work, how sunscreen and toothpaste protect us, and why glue sticks and erasers erase. In the kitchen they watch baking powder make bubbles, sugar turn into caramel and salt melt ice, and learn how acids and bases react. Materials topics explain rust, stainless steel, nonstick pans, sponges, insulation and waterproof jackets that still breathe. Each topic has an animation, a look inside, a simulation and a challenge, for preschool to middle school.

  1. 1Watch it
  2. 2Look inside
  3. 3Try it
  4. 4Solve a challenge
  5. 5Go deeper

25 topics in Everyday chemistry & materials

Everyday chemistry & materials

#401 Everyday chemistry & materials How does soap remove grease? Follow soap molecules surrounding oily dirt so it can be carried away in water. #402 Everyday chemistry & materials How do laundry detergents remove different stains? Match cleaning ingredients to model grease, protein, and other stain types. #403 Everyday chemistry & materials How does hand sanitizer affect microbes? Explore alcohol acting on microbial membranes and proteins in a simplified animation. #404 Everyday chemistry & materials How does toothpaste clean and protect teeth? Explore cleaning ingredients and fluoride interacting with a model tooth surface. #405 Everyday chemistry & materials How does sunscreen protect skin? Follow ultraviolet light interacting with sunscreen ingredients in a simplified skin model. #406 Everyday chemistry & materials How does glue hold surfaces together? Compare adhesives, surface contact, and curing while joining virtual materials. #407 Everyday chemistry & materials How do erasers remove pencil marks? Zoom into paper fibers and follow graphite transferring from paper to an eraser. #408 Everyday chemistry & materials How do nonstick pans resist sticking? Explore a coated surface and compare its interaction with food and droplets. #409 Everyday chemistry & materials Why does stainless steel resist rust? Inspect its protective surface layer and compare it with ordinary steel. #410 Everyday chemistry & materials How does rust form? Change moisture and oxygen around model iron and follow surface changes over time. #411 Everyday chemistry & materials How does rubber stretch and return to shape? Pull a simplified polymer network and observe rearrangement and recovery. #412 Everyday chemistry & materials How do sponges soak up water? Follow water into connected pores and compare absorption in different structures. #413 Everyday chemistry & materials How can clothing be waterproof and breathable? Compare liquid droplets and water vapor interacting with different fabric layers. #414 Everyday chemistry & materials How does insulation slow heat loss? Compare materials and trapped air around a model home or lunch container. #415 Everyday chemistry & materials How does a vacuum flask keep drinks hot or cold? Inspect the vacuum gap, reflective surfaces, and lid while tracking heat transfer. #416 Everyday chemistry & materials How do cooking pans transfer heat? Compare metal types and watch heat spread from a burner through a pan. #417 Everyday chemistry & materials How does convection move heat through air and water? Warm one region of a fluid and follow circulating currents. #418 Everyday chemistry & materials How do emulsions keep oil and water mixed? Build model droplets and explore how emulsifiers help stabilize salad dressing or mayonnaise. #419 Everyday chemistry & materials How does baking powder help cakes rise? Follow gas bubbles forming in batter and expanding during a baking simulation. #420 Everyday chemistry & materials How does sugar turn into caramel? Follow changes in color, aroma, and structure as virtual sugar heats. #421 Everyday chemistry & materials Why do cut apples turn brown? Explore exposed fruit surfaces, oxygen, and enzymes in a simplified browning animation. #422 Everyday chemistry & materials How do acids and bases behave? Test fictional household samples with virtual indicators and explore neutralization. #423 Everyday chemistry & materials Why does salt change how ice melts? Compare pure water and saltwater as temperature changes in a virtual freezing experiment. #424 Everyday chemistry & materials How does sugar dissolve in water? Follow particles spreading through water and compare stirring and temperature. #425 Everyday chemistry & materials How do wet clothes dry? Change airflow, temperature, and humidity and follow water leaving fabric.

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