The football club "Amkar" from Perm got its name from the reduction of two chemicals - ammonia and urea, as they were the main products of OJSC "Mineral Fertilizers", which created the club.
If the viscosity of a liquid depends only on its nature and temperature, as, for example, in water, such a liquid is called Newtonian. If the viscosity also depends on the velocity gradient, it is called non-Newtonian. Such fluids, when force is suddenly applied, behave like solid bodies. An example is ketchup in a bottle, which will not flow until the bottle is shaken. Another example is a suspension of cornstarch in water. If you pour it into a large container, you can literally walk on it if you move your feet quickly and apply enough force to each blow.
Ernest Rutherford did research mainly in the field of physics and once stated that "all sciences can be divided into two groups - physics and stamp collecting." but Nobel Prize he was awarded in chemistry, which was a surprise both for him and for other scientists. Subsequently, he noticed that of all the transformations that he managed to observe, "the most unexpected was his own transformation from a physicist into a chemist."
Since the 1990s, there have been frequent calls on websites and mailing lists to ban the use of dihydrogen monoxide. They list the numerous dangers that this substance causes: it is the main component of acid rain, accelerates the corrosion of metals, can cause a short circuit, etc. Despite the danger, the substance is actively used as an industrial solvent, an additive to food products, on the nuclear power plants, and enterprises dump it into huge quantities into rivers and seas. This joke - after all, dihydrogen monoxide is nothing but water - should teach critical perception of information. In 2007, a New Zealand MP bought it. He received a similar letter from a voter and forwarded it to the government, demanding that the dangerous chemical be banned.
Strawberry aldehyde in terms organic chemistry is not an aldehyde, but an ethyl ester. Also, this substance is not contained in strawberries, but only resembles it with its smell. The substance got its name in the 19th century, when chemical analysis was not yet very accurate.
Platinum literally means "silver" in Spanish. Such a dismissive name given to this metal by the conquistadors is explained by the exceptional refractoriness of platinum, which was not amenable to remelting, did not find application for a long time and was valued half as much as silver. Now platinum is about 100 times more expensive than silver on world exchanges.
The smell of wet earth that we feel after rain is organic matter geosmin, which is produced by cyanobacteria and actinobacteria living on the surface of the earth.
Many chemical elements are named after countries or other geographical features. 4 elements at once - yttrium, ytterbium, terbium and erbium - were named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, near which a large deposit of rare earth metals was discovered.
When roasting cobalt minerals containing arsenic, volatile toxic arsenic oxide is released. The ore containing these minerals was named by the miners as the mountain spirit Kobold. The ancient Norwegians attributed the poisoning of the smelters during the remelting of silver to the tricks of this evil spirit. In honor of him, the metal itself was named cobalt.
Canaries are very sensitive to methane content in the air. This feature was used at one time by miners who, descending underground, took with them a cage with a canary. If the singing had not been heard for a long time, then it was necessary to go upstairs as quickly as possible.
Antibiotics were discovered by accident. Alexander Fleming left a vial of staphylococcus bacteria unattended for several days. A colony of mold fungi grew in it and began to destroy bacteria, and then Fleming isolated active substance- penicillin.
Turkey vultures have a very sharp sense of smell, they are especially good at smelling ethanethiol, a gas that is released during the decay of animal corpses. Artificially produced ethanethiol is added to natural gas, which itself is odorless, so that we can smell the gas leaking from an uncovered burner. In sparsely populated areas of the United States, line engineers sometimes detect leaks in main pipelines precisely by circling turkey vultures above them, attracted by their familiar smell.
American Charles Goodyear accidentally discovered a recipe for making rubber that does not soften in the heat and does not become brittle in the cold. He mistakenly heated a mixture of rubber and sulfur on the stove (according to another version, he left a rubber sample by the stove). This process is called vulcanization.
The football club "Amkar" from Perm got its name from the reduction of two chemicals - ammonia and urea, as they were the main products of OJSC "Mineral Fertilizers", which created the club.
How did Mendeleev discover the periodic law?
There is a widespread legend that the idea of periodic table chemical elements came to Mendeleev in a dream. Once he was asked if this was so, to which the scientist replied: “I’ve been thinking about it for maybe twenty years, and you think: I sat and suddenly ... it’s ready.”
Why was the Swedish chemist Scheele supposed to become a count, but did not?
During a visit to Paris by the Swedish King Gustav III, a delegation of French scientists came to him and expressed their respect in connection with the work in Sweden of the outstanding chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who discovered many organic and inorganic substances. Since the king had never heard of Scheel, he escaped with general phrases, and then immediately issued an order to raise the chemist to knighthood. However, the prime minister also did not know the scientist, and as a result, the title of count went to another Scheele, an artillery lieutenant, and the chemist remained unknown to the king and courtiers.
What creatures are responsible for the color of Bloody Falls in Antarctica?
In Antarctica, Blood Falls emerges from the Taylor Glacier from time to time. The water in it contains ferrous iron, which, when combined with atmospheric air, oxidizes and forms rust. This gives the waterfall its blood-red color. However, ferrous iron in water does not occur just like that - it is produced by bacteria living in an isolated environment. outside world body of water deep under the ice. These bacteria have managed to organize a life cycle in the complete absence of sunlight and oxygen. They process the remains of organic matter, and "breathe" ferric iron from the surrounding rocks.
Which chemical element was obtained as a side effect of trying to isolate gold from urine?
In 1669, the German alchemist Brand Hennig, in search of the philosopher's stone, decided to try to synthesize gold from human urine. In the process of evaporating, distilling and calcining, he obtained a white powder that glows in the dark. Hennig mistook it for the "primordial matter" of gold and called it "light-bearer" (pronounced "phosphorus" in Greek). When further manipulations with this matter did not lead to obtaining the precious metal, he began to sell the new substance even more expensive than the gold itself.
Which industries use the substance responsible for the smell of faeces?
Responsible for the characteristic smell of feces organic compound skatol. However, in small doses, skatole has a pleasant floral scent. It is used for the production of perfumes and cigarettes, in the food industry.
What helps to detect Lego pieces if they are swallowed by children?
The composition of plastic for parts of the designer "Lego" includes barium sulfate. This salt does not dissolve in water, which makes it non-toxic to the body, and is clearly visible on x-rays. Thus, if a child swallows a part, it will be easy to find it in these pictures.
Why was platinum initially cheaper than silver, and now much more expensive?
Platinum literally means "silver" in Spanish. Such a dismissive name given to this metal by the conquistadors is explained by the exceptional refractoriness of platinum, which was not amenable to remelting, did not find application for a long time and was valued half as much as silver. Now platinum is about 100 times more expensive than silver on world exchanges.
What birds helped the miners?
Canaries are very sensitive to methane content in the air. This feature was used at one time by miners who, descending underground, took with them a cage with a canary. If the singing had not been heard for a long time, then it was necessary to go upstairs as quickly as possible.
How to use birds to detect a gas leak?
In some states, Americans add to the gas going through gas pipelines, Chemical substance with the smell of rotten meat. This makes it easy to find the leak where the bars start to circle.
Like imperfect knowledge in English helped discover one of the sugar substitutes?
One of the most effective sugar substitutes, sucralose, was discovered by accident. Professor Leslie Hugh of King's College London instructed his student Shashikant Phadnis, who worked with him, to test (in English "test") the substance trichlorosucrose obtained in the laboratory. The student knew English at a level far from perfect and instead of "test" he heard "taste", immediately tasting the substance and finding it very sweet.
What part of the car was invented by chance?
Safety glass was invented by accident. In 1903, French chemist Edouard Benedictus accidentally dropped a flask filled with nitrocellulose. The glass cracked, but did not shatter into small pieces. Realizing what was happening, Benedictus made the first windshields modern type to reduce the number of victims of car accidents.
What was the profession of the man called by the Muscovites in the legends the luminous monk?
Academician Semyon Vol'fkovich was among the first Soviet chemists who conducted experiments with phosphorus. Then the necessary precautions were not yet taken, and gaseous phosphorus soaked clothes during work. When Volfkovich returned home through the dark streets, his clothes emitted a bluish glow, and sparks were fired from under his boots. Each time a crowd gathered behind him and mistook the scientist for an otherworldly being, which led to the spread of rumors about the "luminous monk" throughout Moscow.
How did Mendeleev discover the periodic law?
There is a widespread legend that the idea of the periodic table of chemical elements came to Mendeleev in a dream. Once he was asked if this was so, to which the scientist replied: “I’ve been thinking about it for maybe twenty years, and you think: I sat and suddenly ... it’s ready.”
Which famous physicist was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry?
Ernest Rutherford did research mainly in the field of physics and once stated that "all sciences can be divided into two groups - physics and stamp collecting." However, the Nobel Prize was awarded to him in chemistry, which was a surprise both for him and for other scientists. Subsequently, he noticed that of all the transformations that he managed to observe, "the most unexpected was his own transformation from a physicist into a chemist."
What birds helped the miners?
Canaries are very sensitive to methane content in the air. This feature was used at one time by miners who, descending underground, took with them a cage with a canary. If the singing had not been heard for a long time, then it was necessary to go upstairs as quickly as possible.
How was vulcanization discovered?
American Charles Goodyear accidentally discovered a recipe for making rubber that does not soften in the heat and does not become brittle in the cold. He mistakenly heated a mixture of rubber and sulfur on the stove (according to another version, he left a rubber sample by the stove). This process is called vulcanization.
What creatures are responsible for the color of Bloody Falls in Antarctica?
In Antarctica, Blood Falls emerges from the Taylor Glacier from time to time. The water in it contains ferrous iron, which, when combined with atmospheric air, oxidizes and forms rust. This gives the waterfall its blood-red color. However, ferrous iron in water does not appear just like that - it is produced by bacteria living in a reservoir isolated from the outside world deep under the ice. These bacteria have managed to organize a life cycle in the complete absence of sunlight and oxygen. They process the remains of organic matter, and "breathe" ferric iron from the surrounding rocks.
Some interesting facts from the history of chemistry
Discovery of halogens
Discovery of fluorine
The isolation of gaseous fluorine from fluorine-containing substances turned out to be one of the most difficult experimental problems. Fluorine is exceptionally reactive; and often its interaction with other substances occurs with ignition and explosion.
The first victims of fluoride were two members of the Irish Academy of Sciences, brothers George and Thomas Knox. Thomas Knox died of hydrogen fluoride poisoning, and Georg became disabled. The next victim was the Belgian chemist P. Layet. The French chemist Jerome Nikles was martyred during experiments on the release of fluorine. French chemists Joseph Gay-Lussac, Louis Tenard and English chemist Humphrey Davy were poisoned by inhaling small amounts of hydrogen fluoride, and also received serious burns. When trying to isolate fluorine by electrolysis of its compounds, the French chemist Edmond Fremy and the English electrochemist Georg Gore damaged their health. It was only in 1886 that the French chemist Henri Moissan managed to obtain fluorine relatively painlessly. Moissan accidentally discovered that during the electrolysis of a mixture of liquid anhydrous HF and potassium hydrofluoride (KHF2) in a platinum vessel at the anode, a light yellow gas with a specific pungent odor is released. However, when Moissan reported to the Paris Academy of Sciences about his discovery, one eye of the scientist was covered with a black bandage:
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Moissan in 1906 "in recognition of a large amount of research - obtaining the element fluorine and introducing into laboratory and industrial practice the electric furnace named after him."
Discovery of chlorine
The discoverer of chlorine was the Swedish pharmacist Karl Scheele, whose chemical intuition was truly amazing, according to the French chemist Jean Baptiste Dumas, Scheele "could not touch any body without making a discovery." At 32, he was awarded the title of member of the Stockholm Academy of Sciences, although he was only a pharmacy assistant, in the same year he received the position of manager of a pharmacy owned by the widow Margarita Sonneman, who two days before Scheele's death became his wife.
Here is how Scheele described his experience, performed in 1774: “I placed a mixture of black magnesia with muriic acid in a retort, to the neck of which I attached a bubble devoid of air, and placed it on a sand bath. The bubble was filled with gas, which colored it in yellow: The gas had a yellow-green color, a piercing smell":
The modern designation of this reaction is: MnO2 + 4HCl = Cl2 + MnCl2 + 2H2O.
In 1812, the French chemist Gay-Lussac gave this gas its modern name - chlorine, which means yellow-green in Greek.
The discovery of bromine
Bromine was discovered by twenty-four-year-old laboratory assistant Antoine-Jerome Balard. Balard studied the mother brines of the southern salt marshes of France. During one of the experiments, when he acted on the brine with chlorine, he noticed the appearance of a very intense yellow color, caused by the reaction of the interaction of the sodium bromide contained in the solution with chlorine. After several years of hard work, Balar isolated the required amount of a dark brown liquid, which he called murid. At the Paris Academy of Sciences, Gay-Lussac and Tenard confirmed Balard's discovery of a new a simple substance, but found the name unsuccessful and offered their own - "bromine", which in Greek meant fetid.
Subsequently, the French chemist Charles Gerard, who did not receive the chair of chemistry at the French College, which was transferred to Balard, highly appreciating his discovery of bromine, could not resist a sharp exclamation: "It was not Balard who discovered bromine, but bromine discovered Balard!"
Discovery of iodine
In 1811, the French chemist and pharmacist Bernard Courtois discovered iodine. His friends tell curious details of this discovery. Courtois had a beloved cat, who usually sat on his master's shoulder during dinner. Courtois often dined in the laboratory. One day during lunch, the cat, frightened of something, jumped to the floor, but fell on the bottles that stood near the laboratory table. In one bottle, Courtois prepared for the experiment a suspension of algae ash (containing sodium iodide) in ethanol, and in the other there was a concentrated sulphuric acid. The bottles were broken and the liquids mixed up. Clubs of blue-violet steam began to rise from the floor, which settled on surrounding objects in the form of tiny black-violet crystals with a metallic sheen and a pungent odor. This was the new chemical element iodine.
(The facts are taken from the following books: M. Dzhua. History of Chemistry. 1975.; B. D. Stepin, L. Yu. Alikberova. A book on chemistry for home reading. 1995. K. Manolov. Great chemists. (volume 1, volume 2), 1976.).
