Washing our faces, drinking coffee to wake up, cutting vegetables or legumes for dinner ... all these actions trigger chemical reactions and fill our day to day with fascinating little events that we are not aware of Does it call attention to know what role chemistry plays in our day to day? Keep reading! Then, in Supercurioso we present you 7 curiosities of the chemistry for your day to day that are present in the chemical companies Madrid and that will surprise you.
7 Curiosities of chemistry for your day to day that you never imagined
1. The operation of Soap
You wake up in the morning and what is the first thing you do? You probably rinse your face with cold water to wake up and wash it with soap Did you know that the soap you use to cleanse yourself and any type of detergent contains the ability to form micelles? Micelles are molecules that surround dirt, isolating it from its original environment and taking it out, either from our body, clothes in the washing machine or bathroom pottery when we clean it.
2. The sweet smell of solvents
Have you started to remove the nail polish or dissolve any paint or greasy substance with a solvent and noticed a sweet smell like fruit? No, you did not imagine, it's about methyl acetate , a compound that is used as a solvent, usually for varnishes and, interestingly, in the manufacture of some drugs (also being the reason why some pills have a pleasant smell).
3. The onion and the desire to cry
You are preparing a sandwich and you decide to chop an onion to add some slices, so you take the onion, the board and the knife, you start to nibble and, when you realize, your eyes burn so much that you are crying. Why is this happening? ? It turns out that the onion contains some compounds with sulfur, whose cells break when we cut it, releasing sulfur molecules that react with the humidity of our eyes and generating sulfuric acid , producing a burning sensation; As a defense mechanism, our brain goes and orders the tear ducts of the eyes that produce more water to counteract the irritation and dilute the acid that caused it. Awesome Right?
4. The smell of books
Have you ever had the opportunity to grab an old book in a library or your home and, when you open it, discover that it exhales a delicious smell? What has happened is that the decomposition of the cellulose (from the trees and main material used to make the paper) generates some molecules called lignin or vanillin, which give the yellowish color and a rich vanilla smell to old books MMM!
5. The deodorant
The bad smell is often considered as a product of dirt and lack of hygiene, which is why we are always looking for ways to hide or prevent it in its entirety; yearning that, among many other compounds, has given rise to deodorants, without which we can not practically go out into the street. Do you know why they work? Indeed, the bad smell in our armpits is a product of bacteria that are fed by the fats and proteins that we expel through the apocrine glands (those found in our armpits); deodorants use triclosan, a powerful antibacterial and fungicidal compound In addition, if our deodorant is also antiperspirant, it means that it also has aluminum salts that are inserted into the pores of the skin and prevent sweating.
6. The "decaffeinated" coffee
In the last 20 years the sale of so-called "decaffeinated coffees" has been increasingly common and you have probably tried it or even made "decaffeinated" part of your day-to-day coffee thinking that it is a healthier drink for being free of caffeine What would you think if you found out that decaffeinated coffee is not free of caffeine? Caffeine is the main coffee compound (as the name implies) so a 100% caffeine-free coffee is impossible to make. However, if you want to stay alert without putting so much caffeine in your body, eat an apple It's just as effective as taking two cups of coffee. What's up ?!
7. Apples and the clarity of the teeth
We tend to have a pressing need to wear white teeth magazine, so we can get to undergo whitening in dental clinics or follow tips according to which we brush with baking soda or lemon to let them act for several minutes, but all these procedures / from tooth whitening with chemicals to brushing teeth with lemon) weaken the enamel of our teeth, so necessary for oral health. An alternative? We have it for you: apples are excellent foods, not only for the heart, the brain and the consumption of fever, but also for the natural whitening of the teeth , due to its acidic pH and its composition of 25% air, which is also ideal to satisfy hunger. Cool!
If you liked the 6 curiosities of chemistry for your day to day that we show you here, tell us Do you know other curious facts about chemistry in our routine? Do you have more healthy tips? We read you with attention!