American Chemical Society
Why Do Things Taste Sweet?
Our love of sweets can be traced back to our cavemen ancestors! The chemical makeup of sweet foods creates a strong source of energy in our diets. Glucose, sucrose, and fructose all have similar chemical structures that create the tastes...
American Chemical Society
Why Do Leaves Change Color?
Discover the scientific explanation of fall leaves! The lesson narrator describes the role of chlorophyll, glucose, and weather in the process of the color-changing process. He adds an overview of carotenoids and flavonoids to explain...
American Chemical Society
Accidental Discoveries That Changed The World
When they run out of lemons, scientists study lemonade! Many scientific discoveries came from dead-end experiments. The episode of the ACS Reactions series shows how scientists make many discoveries by accident. The highlight of the...
American Chemical Society
The Chemistry of Cats
Cats provide many interesting chemistry connections! Learners explore chemical connections to cats in an episode of the ACS Reactions playlist. They pursue many chemistry topics including the neurological response to catnip and the...
American Chemical Society
How Much Water Can Kill You?
Can water really poison you? An episode of the ACS Reaction series verifies that water can be toxic in large amounts. In fact, this is the main idea of the lesson: all elements are toxic at the right dose.
American Chemical Society
The Universe in a Cup of Coffee
Connect the chemical aspects of coffee to the world in which we live! Scholars consider the molecules within coffee and how they interact with the environment as they view an episode of the ACS Reaction series. From caffeine as a...
American Chemical Society
How Does Cooking Affect Nutrients in Veggies?
Microwave, steam, bake, or just eat them raw—what is the best way to preserve the nutrients in the vegetables we eat? The episode of the ACS Reactions series considers different cooking methods and their effects on the vitamins and...
American Chemical Society
How is Artificial Snow Made?
It's time to take to the slopes to enjoy a little scientific exploration. Scholars learn the chemistry of artificial snow by watching an informative video. The ACS Reactions lesson describes the importance of creating the correct...
American Chemical Society
The Science of Caffeine: The World's Most Popular Drug
Discover the science behind the world's most popular drug. Scholars explore the neural effects of caffeine in an episode of the larger ACS Reactions playlist. The presenter explains how caffeine impacts different neurotransmitters in the...
American Chemical Society
The Chemistry of Fireworks
Experiment with chemical compounds to produce the colors in fireworks! The lesson instructor demonstrates how adding high temperatures to specific compounds creates a colorful reaction—the same one people use to create fireworks. This is...
American Chemical Society
How Does Tylenol Work? The Truth Is—We Don't Know
Surprise—even pharmacists don't know how Tylenol works! An installment of the ACS Reaction series considers three theories that explain the function of acetaminophen, the ingredient in the popular pain reliever Tylenol....
American Chemical Society
We Are Made of "Star Stuff"
Explore the validity of a famous quote by Carl Sagan, "We are made of star stuff." An episode of the ACS Reactions playlist explains how deteriorating stars became the origin of all the elements in our world. Learners consider different...
American Chemical Society
What Happens When You Eat Too Much?
Overeating has both physical and mental consequences. Scholars learn the body's reaction to eating and how it determines when enough is enough. The installment of the ACS Reactions playlist explores both physiological and neurological...
American Chemical Society
What's the Deal with Acne?
Use science to treat acne outbreaks! Scholars learn the immune response that creates their dreaded pimples. An ACS Reactions video lesson explains how bacteria and white blood cells interact to create these blemishes and how hormones...
American Chemical Society
Did Comets Kickstart Life on Earth?
Care to speculate on how life on Earth came to be? The video presentation from the ACS Reaction series considers the possibility of comets creating the right conditions for the formation of life. Scholars consider colliding comets as...
American Chemical Society
Can I Still Eat This?
The United States sends 133 billion pounds of edible food to landfills every year. A lesson from the ACS Reaction series discusses the chemical reactions that cause food to change over time. Some reactions make food taste different while...
American Chemical Society
The Cold Truth About Fat
Our bodies store two types of fat: brown fat and white fat—and brown fats are actually efficient at burning calories! An episode of the ACS Reaction series compares exercise generating brown fat to shivering cold. It turns out 15 minutes...
American Chemical Society
Does Cough Medicine Really Work?
There is no good evidence supporting the effectiveness of cough medicine. Although marketing and consumerism leads to a billion dollar industry, research does not show consistent results. An episode of the ACS Reaction series explores...
American Chemical Society
What Is Your Snot Saying?
All mucus is not created equal! An ACS Reactions video lesson explains what the color and texture of mucus communicates. Its appearance can indicate the status of our immune systems as it contains important cells and chemical compounds...
American Chemical Society
Vertical Farming
Create a vegetation high rise! Scholars study the trend of vertical farming and the requirements needed for a successful crop. The lesson from the ACS Reactions series explores the advantages and disadvantages in relation to traditional...
American Chemical Society
The Chemistry of Redheads
Redheads have genetic modifications that affect their pigmentation; however, the differences don't stop there! Use the video lesson from the ACS Reaction series to examine different traits specific to redheads. Learners consider...
American Chemical Society
How Do We Tell Temperature?
Explore the science behind thermometers. Rather than measuring temperature, thermometers track the movement of heat from hot to cold. The installment of the ACS Reactions series examines the chemical response that make thermometers work.
American Chemical Society
What Do Electrolytes Actually Do?
Why is your sweat salty? An episode of the ACS Reactions series examines the role of electrolytes in our systems. The narrator explains how the salts of electrolytes work in the nervous system. When we lose those electrolytes through...
Veritasium
Water on the Moon?
The surface of the moon routinely reaches 253 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists around the world believed these high temperatures made water on the moon impossible—but they were wrong! Enlightening videos in the Veritasium playlist explore...