As a college student studying science, I clearly remember the day my physics professor walked out in front of the class to perform the classic "Table Cloth Trick" demonstration. He had a small dining table set with a nice tablecloth, fine china dishes and wine glasses...

Gel fuel has been used for years as a way to keep food warm in a chafing tray, as a heating oil, and as an emergency survival fuel. It is often referred to as canned heat or Sterno, which is a brand name for methanol gel. Recently I was picking up gel fuel for a fondue...

Gun cotton, also know as nitrocellulose, is a very interesting compound that can be made in the chemistry lab quite easily and is a good way to learn about the practical applications of simple chemical reactions.

What is gun cotton or nitrocellulose?

First, let's look at...

Science doesn't stop during the holidays and one of the things we do in chemistry to remind students that chemistry is all around is to make Christmas Ornaments using Chemistry - specifically chemical reactions involving acid and plating metal with acidified metal ions...