Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [chemistry]

The science of matter and the changes it can undergo.

151 questions
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Does freshly-boiled water contain more oxygen?

I was (probably foolishly) reading the side of a box of herbal tea-bags, and noticed that they recommended always using freshly boiled water, because "Freshly boiled water contains more oxygen." As I understand it, boiling water knocks a fair amount…
Avrohom Yisroel
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Do charcoal bags help removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?

I have read some claims that charcoal bags help removing harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Bamboo Charcoal helps improve indoor air quality by absorbing and trapping odors, allergens, and harmful VOCs. Is this claim scientifically…
Franck Dernoncourt
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Can a body be dissolved by a few liters or gallons of Hydrofluoric acid?

In the "Cat's in the Bag..." episode of Season 1 of "Breaking Bad," characters are shown with 4 gallon-jugs of Hydrofluoric Acid that they use to dissolve 2 adult corpses. Chemistry is a major plot device in the show and it seems like they go to…
Larry OBrien
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Does "liquid-injection damp-proofing" work to water-proof walls?

There are technologies for sale, especially in Germany, to drill holes in the walls of a cellar, and inject into the concrete or masonry a liquid, such as Sodium Silicate The manufacturers promise these chemicals will make walls waterproof and sell…
Jonas Stein
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Does drinking water from plastic bottles contaminate your blood?

I wanted to know if there is any research on the issue Daniel Vitalis raises on bottling water here (5th minute and on). He claims that if one drinks water bottled in plastic bottles one will eventually have plastic in his blood. Another claim is…
superAnnoyingUser
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Did James Lovelock deny that CFCs destroyed ozone?

In the discussion threads of one of the answers to this meta question How much can we trust peer reviewed scientific literature? EnergyNumbers alleged that James Lovelock had originally denied that ozone was destroyed by CFCs and was now trying to…
matt_black
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Is typical indoor concentration of VOC correlated to concentration of CO₂?

A vendor of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) sensor claims the VOC concentration correlates highly to CO₂ concentration in a typical conference room: Figure 2 illustrates the correlation of true CO₂ and concentration of mixed gases measured in a…
Suma
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Can processed coconut extract, corn, tree sap, potatoes and grass be combined to be used as a calcium and lime remover?

This product claims to be an effective calcium and lime remover. Is this going to be any more effective than a spray bottle with water and some elbow grease? They claim it uses a thing called colloidal science. Is there any research to back up…
Catherine Holloway
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Are all snowflakes unique?

It's often been told to me that all snowflakes are unique. It's led to the phrase "special snowflake" to describe something or someone who is unique/distinct from all others. Even Wikipedia states: Snowflakes are also seen as a symbol of…
Ky -
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Does calcification of the pineal gland negatively affect normal bodily functions?

I received this link from an associate of mine. It smells like pseudo-scientific bull to me, but there are a LOT of claims made in the article that I can't really debunk all by myself. To quote from near the top of the online article: Studies show…
Scrambo
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Is there any scientific basis to this "catalytic converter" to treat hard water?

I came across this product called Softer Water Conditioners. It includes a lot of scientific sounding mumbo-jumbo to explain how it works, which raises my skepticism. Is there any scientific basis to this device, or this is just yet another…
Masked Man
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Does Tesla's 70 kWh battery have 63 kg of lithium and if so, why?

I have found information that Tesla's 70 kWh battery pack has 63 kg of lithium: https://electrek.co/2016/11/01/breakdown-raw-materials-tesla-batteries-possible-bottleneck/ Considering there's only 13 million tonnes of lithium reserves, this would…
juhist
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Are the chemical compounds BPA, BPS and BPF harmful to humans?

According to the following article by Time, and the study that it cites, several compounds of the chemical bisphenol - used in commonly-handled products like shopping receipts and plastic containers like bottles - are likely to be unsafe for humans,…
Prometheus
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Do the vitamins in a smoothie degrade when put in the fridge?

I was discussing with a friend about my smoothies consumption and he argued that putting them in the fridge to consume them the next day was not good as the vitamin level/effect drops quickly. Question Does the vitamins' effect drop as quickly as…
Édouard Lopez
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Is soap foam better for cleaning than soapy water?

Most people who wash something using soap (e.g. the dishes), seem to believe that the bubbles contribute a great deal in the actual cleaning. This is not something I explicitly saw written down somewhere, but looking at how people (including me)…
gebruiker
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